Category: Society & Culture

Doctor WHO: Celebrating World Health Day in Malé this weekend

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is celebrating World Health Day today with activities around the world, and the theme “urbanisation and health” which aims to improve urban equity gaps, the leading cause for many health problem’s in the world’s poor according to the WHO.

Past themes have been “working together for health” in 2006 which focused on the health workforce crisis; “international health society” in 2007, aiming to improve the first line of defence against public health emergencies; “protecting health from climate change” in 2008, which looked at the effects of climate change on vulnerable populations; and “save lives, make hospitals safer in emergencies” in 2009.

This year’s campaign 1000 cities, 1000 lives is bringing attention to the issues of urban health. The WHO believes “urbanization is one of the major threats to health in the twenty-first century.”

Urban health

Although the WHO recognises urban environments can provide “great opportunities for individuals and families to prosper,” they can also harm our health in many ways, if the infrastructure and lifestyle in these urban sectors aren’t improved.

Some of the challenges the WHO cites as being problematic in urban areas are “overcrowding; air pollution; rising levels of risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol; road traffic injuries; inadequate infrastructure, transport facilities, solid waste management systems; and insufficient access to health facilities in slum areas.”

According to the WHO, more than half of the world’s population now lives in urban areas, something that has never before happened in our history. They note that about 34% of the total population of the WHO’s South-East Asia Region is urban.

This year’s World Health Day aims to promote finding solutions to the roots of urban health issues and to “build partnerships with multiple sectors of society to make cities healthier.”

But improving urban sectors does not just benefit health, but is an economically sound proposal. The WHO estimates that “every $1 spent on sanitation gives a return of US$ 9.10 in terms of prevention and treatment of illnesses. Improved transportation, infrastructure and greener technologies enhance urban quality of life, including fewer respiratory ailments and accidents and better health for all.”

WHO Representative to the Maldives Dr Jorge Mario Luna says the solution to many of the health issues exacerbated by overcrowding, pollution, inactivity and unhealthy diets, violence and injury is proper urban planning.

“Proper urban planning can promote healthy behaviours and safety through investment in active transport, designing areas to promote physical activity and passing regulatory controls on tobacco and food safety. Improving urban living conditions in the areas of housing, water and sanitation will go a long way to mitigating health risks. Building inclusive cities that are accessible and age-friendly will benefit all urban residents.”

He added that “such actions do not necessarily require additional funding, but commitment to redirect resources to priority interventions, thereby achieving greater efficiency.”

Malé Health Fair

With this in mind, this year’s campaign is promoting ‘greener’ and healthier lifestyle options, which will be  showcased in Malé’s Health Fair, to be held on Saturday 10 April from 4:00-6:30 pm, and then from 8:00-10:30 pm in different locations around the city.

There will be activities held in Ameenee Park, Children’s Park, the Social Center, and other locations around Malé, Hulhumalé and Vilingili.

Some of the activities include free sporting events like dodge-ball and gymnastics; public awareness demonstrations on first aid and sanitation; food preparation counselling for kids; quizzes and puzzles; medical check-ups at ADK hospital; and distribution of information on living a healthier life.

On Friday 9 April there will be a ‘bicycle round’ where senior government officials and other volunteers will join in bicycle round of Malé.

The ‘round’ will start at the Artificial Beach at 4:00 pm and will follow a westerly route, for about half an hour, along Boduthakurufaan Magu, ending at Licence Sarahahdhu near IGMH.

A full schedule of events will be available at the WHO website and the Ministry of Health and Family website from tomorrow.

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Comment: Urbanisation is a challenge for public health

Historically, Malé city has been an engine of economic growth, a centre of culture, and a generator of ideas. But while human potential is infinite, resources are finite.

Urbanisation creates problems, but healthy cities can solve them. A billion people now live in the world’s urban slums. The urban population of Asia is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. The health sector needs to take the lead in calling attention to the enormous implications of this growth in cities for the health of the people who live and work in them.

On 7 April 2010, World Health Day, WHO will focus on the themes of Urbanisation and Health.

With the possibility that over the next 30 years all population growth will be in urban areas, urbanisation becomes a real challenge for public health.

Urbanisation is associated with many health challenges related to water, environment, violence and injury, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol as well as the risks associated with disease outbreaks.

In poorly planned cities, the urban poor are the ones who will suffer the burden of these and other health problems, including an increased risk for violence and for some communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

In 2008, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) carried on a “Rapid Assessment of the Housing Situation in the Maldives”.

In interviews in Malé, the study described issues such as exorbitant rent levels, housing space, size, overcrowding, unaffordable access to clean drinking water, and many other problems like unhealthy living conditions, social problems as a result of overcrowding.

Many of the respondents indicated that these problems were the key causes of rising social issues such as gang warfare and drug abuse.

Furthermore, several social problems are also faced within the household including child abuse, psychological impact in growing up in areas of overcrowding, breakdown of many families due to the hardship faced by them stimulating a ripple effect of social disorder for the families, particularly the children caught in the situation.

The assessment highlighted that the sources of such housing stress are many, but it is mainly attributed by the raising demand for housing as a result of increased migration of Maldivians and foreigners to the capital. There are over 30,000 international migrant laborers now living in Malé under more crowded situations.

In the rapid assessment, local residents reported as many as 30 men sharing 3m x 3m flats without running water or sanitation facilities. These workers have to queue at public water taps to access clean water and often have to sleep in shifts as not all of them are able to fit into the space they occupy at the same time.

Among nationals, they felt that public services in Malé and to a lesser extent in Hithadhoo, Thulusdhoo and Kulhudhufushi were significantly better than the services they could receive at home or urban centers closer to them, being hospitals, secondary schools and higher education the most commonly mentioned services.

Other important factors for individual and family migration included the availability of employment opportunities and higher wages in Malé and better prospects for developing one’s own business from the capital.

As we can see, it is important to note that the major drivers, or social determinants, of health in urban settings are beyond the health sector, including physical infrastructure, access to social and health services, local governance, and the distribution of income and educational opportunities.

The solution? Proper urban planning can promote healthy behaviours and safety through investment in active transport, designing areas to promote physical activity and passing regulatory controls on tobacco and food safety. Improving urban living conditions in the areas of housing, water and sanitation will go a long way to mitigating health risks. Building inclusive cities that are accessible and age-friendly will benefit all urban residents.

Such actions do not necessarily require additional funding, but commitment to redirect resources to priority interventions, thereby achieving greater efficiency.

The Rapid Assessment of the Housing Situation in Maldives conducted by the HRCM, concluded providing a series of recommendations, which together are designed to kick-start a broader process leading to continuously improving housing conditions in the Maldives.

Dr Jorge Mario Luna is the WHO Representative to the Maldives.

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Convicted terrorist escapes DPRS on motorbike

A man sentenced for six years for charges of terrorism relating to the Himandhoo incident escaped yesterday as he was being transferred from the court to Malé Prison.

Spokesperson for the Juvenile Court Zaeema Nasheed identified the man as Hussein Nishan, 18, of Roze Hose in Himandhoo of North Ari Atoll.

Zaeema said that the man escaped by the time he was transferred to Male’ prison by a court officer from the Juvenile Court yesterday around 3:00pm.

”A court officer took him to the Department of Penitentiary and Rehabilitation Service (DPRS) and the department requested a court officer to take him to Male’ jail,” she said. ”It is the responsibility of the DPRS to take prisoners to the place where they are to be kept.”

She said Nishan fled on a motor-bike which stopped near Galolhu Male’ Hiya.

”The court officer immediately informed us about the incident,” Zaeema said, adding the department “immediately informed the police.”

She said the court officer did not manage to see the registration number of the motor bike.

Zaeema said there had several recent cases where prisoners had escaped custody, but noted that this was the most recent incident.

”We do not have a vehicle at the court [to transfer prisoners,” she said, ”and we have very low security procedures.”

She said Nishan was charged for terrorism in 2007 for attacking the Armed Forces of Maldives in Himandhoo when he was only 16 years old.

”The case was sent to the court by the Prosecutor General’s office on 24 July 2008.”

A source in DPRS told Minivan News that the court officer went with Nishan to DPRS around 4:00pm yesterday.

”We told him to transfer Nishan to Male’ Jail,” he said, ”and when we called after a while to check where he was, Niham said that the man escaped.”

He added that Nishan had cooperated during the trial.

Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed the case was reported to the police yesterday afternoon.

Shiyam said Nishan had not yet been found and added that the police are searching for him.

Spokesperson for the DRPS Moosa Rameez did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

President Mohamed Nasheed has previously vowed to the people of Himandhoo that the government will grant clemency to Himandhoo inmates convicted for terrorism.

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”Expat or locals, both are human”: DRP calls on government to reopen water taps

Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan has called on the government to reopen the closed public water taps in Malé by the end of this week.

Deputy Head of Malé Municipality Mohamed Arif told Minivan News yesterday that all but four of the 19 taps closed because they were “mostly being used by expats [and] not Maldivians.”

The water taps cost the municipality Rf3.5 million (US$270,000) last year, he said.

Today, Nihan said many people were complaining that the municipality’s decision was causing them difficulty.

”Expat or locals, both are human,” he said. ”Water is a basic fundamental right for any human being.”

”We want the government to keep at least eight taps available,” Nihan said, ”so that two are available for each district.”

He said the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standards would not allow a country to keep its public water taps closed.

Nihan said he did not want the water from the taps to be used for car washing or business purposes.

”We are ready to go out on the streets and protest on this issue,” he said. ”If they do not reopen the taps by this week we will come out to the streets and will even take the issue to parliament.”

Nihan said the party was waiting so as to give some time for the government to reverse the decision.

”This shows how incapable and unable the government is to run this country,” he said. “They cannot even manage the public water taps.”

Head of Male’ Municipality Adam Manik said the government “might or might not” reopen four more taps.

”We do not want to know what the DRP wants,” Adam said. ‘We understand what the people want, and so far nobody has complained [to us] that they are having difficulties.”

Adam said there would be enough water available from the four open taps, and that he did not wish to comment on the issue further.

MDP MP Alhan Fahmy also said he did not want to comment on the issue while spokesperson for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Parliamentary group, Ahmed Shifaz did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.

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Comment: Resort life – it’s all about pretence… lots of it.

In resort life everyone tries to be what he or she is not, according to circumstances. Sometimes this behaviour is required as part of the profession and sometimes it happens out of inclination. For example:

Managers

They come in all shapes and sizes. Some come with a perpetual frown on their faces whilst others hide their true expressions behind an engaging smile. But they all share in the pretence.

The guests

Most guests are also notorious at deception. It is an ingrained cultural habit to smile and make light of everything, however annoying.

However there are those who are exactly the opposite – the realists and the con-guests who will complain at the smallest inconvenience to get a free bottle of champagne or a discount on their stay.

Human resources

HR used to play God until the arrival of the dreaded labour laws. Now that the mantle of power to terminate staff indiscriminately on HR’s whims and wishes can at last be challenged in the labour tribunal, things are thankfully a little bit more even handed.

Reservations

Together with ’sales and marketing’, reservations would have everyone else believe that if not for them the resort is a few days from closing down and going out of business.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is that most tourists just choose to come to our resorts after hearing about our beaches and small islands from the internet, mostly through tour operators.

Tour operators do not necessarily depend on reservations but sometimes they have an agreement with the resort for the allocation of rooms, which is ‘handled’ by these pompous people. In technical terms they are just clerks and data entry staff making a big fuss over their work.

Of course there are some sweet, down-to-earth reservations people who do not aggrandize their work but in resort life such humbleness is the exception rather than the norm.

Maintenance

The maintenance people generally include the engineers and the unseen crowd. They are happiest when something really major breaks down like an engine or a water plant, because that’s the only time they can shine and their work will be valued or respected by their superiors.

They are prone to making the smallest issue as big as possible just to get the attention of the managers, because that’s the only way up the corporate ladder from their level.

Waiters and room boys and girls

Generally honest and hard-working, these gentle people have a tendency to make a purely service task into a
technical one, which at a certain extent can be comical.

Launch section guys

Perhaps the most realistic in appearance and attitude are found in the ‘launch section’ team. They have a reason for that too – extended periods of time spent in monotonous journeys between islands and airports wear them down which makes them difficult to either please or irritate.

The IT guys

The IT guys are all smiles and kindness until a computer terminal is said to be terminally ill and the IT guy is called in. From that moment the IT guy is bossy, unfriendly, talks in jargon and generally looks down on the rest of humanity.

However a by-product of Moore’s Law is that advances in technology will soon make them redundant, as networks, computers and devices become more and more user friendly and intelligent. They had their day in the era of Windows 3.2 and dot matrix printers, when being an IT guy was not for the faint of
heart.

Nowadays the IT guy is pretty much only still alive thanks to Microsoft Windows and the uncommonness of common sense.

Chefs and the kitchen crowd

There is an unending war between the restaurant guys and the kitchen folk because all the hard work is done
in the kitchen but all the tips are received at the restaurant.

However as most resorts are mindful of this war, generally their salary is higher than the rest which is some solace to the animosity. The kitchen guys generally do not subscribe to false smiles and half-hearted greetings, because their life is hectic and hard.

Gardeners, labourers and the like

At the bottom of the ladder, these people are resigned to their fate or position and automatically have the rubbery smile and artificial greetings for all guests and superiors.

No such smiles for their peers and others, however – ambition is not lacking in this department, as gardeners are frequently fond of watering the plants around the GMs office hoping that he or she will take notice of the effort…

There is much hypocrisy to go around in resort life, but its worth it for the the fun. If all resort folk, including the guests, were to be expressionless die-hard realists, life in a resort would be tough indeed.

Republished with permission from MaldivesResortWorkers, a site for resort staff to anonymously discuss the industry, their employers, and the realities of resort work.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

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Informal adoption laws and lack of legislation hampering Health Ministry

The Maldives has no laws governing adoption as the practice is forbidden under Islam, Minivan News learned yesterday during an investigation of the staff shortages at the Kudakudhinge Hiya orphanage in Vilingili.

State Minister for Health and Family Mariya Ali explained that the courts permit a “long-term guardianship” as there is no ‘formal’ adoption law in the Maldives.

One consequence of this ‘informal’ system is that the Maldives maintains a reservation regarding adoption after signing the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Communications Officer for UNICEF Humaida Abdulghafoor said there is no adoption law in the Maldives “but it is being looked into right now.”

“The Maldives has a reservation on adoption in the Conventions for the Right of the Child (CRC), but culturally, we have an informal system where extended families will look after a child if his or her parents cannot do so.”

“There is no formal structure,” she said, “and the laws are not very strong.”

Mariya explained that if a child cannot be cared for by his or her parents, the court must look for next of kin.

“According to the Family Law, there are a number of people they must check first,” she explained.

If no one is found to care for the child, then they must be placed under care of the state, but the Ministry tries not to remove children from their homes if at all possible, she said.

Mariya explained that a study carried out by the ministry on adoption under Islam identified that “clearly the Western form of adoption cannot happen.”

In the Western form of adoption, a child takes his or her adoptive parents’ surname, “but in Islam that cannot happen.”

The alternative is long-term fostering: “We want the children to know their roots, which means there won’t be any corruption of lineage.”

But this has no guarantees of permanence, and finding adequate foster care is a long process.

“It is up to us to find parents who don’t have a history of sexual abuse, who don’t have a history of fraud, who don’t have a history of other offences,” Mariya explained, meaning the ministry had to do an assessment of every person who came forward wanting to foster a child.

She said the process of assessment can take up to six months – “It is very difficult for us to find a home for a child because we don’t have proper legislation to support us.”

In the meantime, the ministry has now completed regulations on minimum standards for children’s homes. Mariya said now that the costing for these guidelines to be implemented is finished, “this week we will send it to the Attorney General’s office, who will then table it in Parliament.”

“As soon as this comes through it will be a guiding document for the workers,” she said.

Mariya explained that due to staff shortages at the ministry, there was a backlog of cases waiting to be processed.

“There is only one staff member doing the case work,” she said, adding that they were hoping to get some assistance from NGOs in fast-tracking the case work.

“Ideally, babies need to be placed with carers before they’re one year old. This is the year when they form attachments,” she noted. “For children to form healthy attachment, we need to place them soon.”

She said the ministry had expressed its concerns over staff shortages many times, but “have not had any feedback about whether we’re going to get more staff or not.”

Another issue is age: “Most carers and most families that come forward want babies,” Mariya said, adding that “very few want an older child.”

Because babies need be placed with a family as soon as possible, issuing the cases quickly is essential.

She said “most of the time parents want to be given the child permanently, “which takes even longer. If they request for temporary fostering we could at least place the child with the parents and then proceed with the process, but right now we don’t get such offers.”

Orphanage

Kudakudhinge Hiya children’s home in Vilingili was started in 2006 and is a state-run initiative managed by the Ministry of Health and Family. They are currently caring for 51 children and is the only government institution of its kind in the country.

Minivan News reported yesterday that there was a shortage of cooks. Community Health Officer at Kudakudhinge Hiya, Iyaz Jadulla Naseem, said the staff shortage was due to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) removing the post of cook from civil service.

Spokesperson for the CSC Mohamed Fahmy Hassan said there are still some offices and institutions which have cooks working under the CSC, “but not island offices” because the post of cook had been “abolished by the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

“A children’s shelter is under the Ministry of Health and Family,” Fahmy said, “and therefore, if they require a cook, I’m sure the CSC would appoint someone.”

He said the home’s administration had to make a request, which then had to be submitted by the Ministry of Health and Family to the CSC.

“They are in a special category, and any post that is required to safeguard the children will be created.”

Mariya Ali said the recent staff shortage “was due to downsizing” and added the ministry has “brought up the issue of staff shortage eight times” in meetings at the ministry.

“It is dangerous not to have enough staff [in a children’s home],” she said. “The CSC has a blanket formula… there are actually not a lot of staff taking care of the children.”

Mariya said the corporate sector was also helping the ministry, and “one major resort operator is willing to give us a doctor who will be visiting the facility regularly.”

On the issue of the cooks, she said the ministry has “advertised and approached the corporate sector to ask if they are able to give us a temporary solution to the cook, but they have not given us an answer.”

A helping hand

There are several ways to help Vilingili Orphanage. Mariya said there are two funds at the moment, and there is a donation box at Kudakudhinge Hiya, one at Hulhumalé ferry terminal and one at IGMH.

“Or people can approach us directly [at the Food and Drug Authority building] and we will direct them where to go.”

Mariya said setting up a pay-pal account for people to make deposits into the fund’s bank account was “a great idea” and she would look into it.

“We are also planning a sponsor a child campaign,” she said, which would hopefully ease the strain on the government to care for all the children at Vilingili.

“It is the responsibility of all of us to care for these children,” Mariya said.

She added that she hopes “different corporate sectors and even the public, individuals, can come forth and say to us ‘we are willing to cover the staff costs for one person.’ Then we could have enough staff.”

She noted the corporate sector is already sponsoring staff at the Ministry of Health and Family to go on a training course in England with UK-based children’s charity, Barnardo’s.

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Closing public water taps “like drinking blood of the people”: Umar Naseer

Male’ Municipality has closed 14 public water taps across the city, leaving only four taps available.

Deputy Head of the Municipality Mohamed Arif said the taps were closed because the council had received many complaints about the taps, which were “not being used by Maldivians.”

”Most of the water is used by expats, for car washing and a very few poor locals,” Arif said. ”We have done surveys to check who has been using the water taps.”

Arif said the water taps cost the municipality Rf3.5 million (US$270,000) last year.

He said the water taps were established intending to help the poor locals who could not afford to pay the water bill.

”Our records show that only 10 per-cent of the people using the water taps were Maldivians,” he said.

”We receive many complaints from Ameer Ahmed School that people throw water at the students,” he said. ”We also have many complaints from people that they are having difficulties due to water spilt near the taps.”

Press Secretary for the president Mohamed Zuhair also said that the taps were used mainly by expats and for washing cars.

Vice president of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party DRP Umar Naseer said that he was concerned about the issue as “a lot of people are unable to afford their water bill.”

”That’s why they stay in the queue for hours, ” he said. ”Closing the water taps is like drinking the blood of the people.”

Most people could not afford to drink bottled mineral water all the time, he noted.

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Lightning strike causes Rf384,000 damage to Hirilandhu

Lightning struck the l, lightning struck the 300 ft tall Wataniya antennae on the Island.

The island of Hirikandhu in Thaa Atoll suffered and estimated Rf384,000 (US$30,000) in electrical damages when a lightning bolt struck Wataniya antennae early on Saturday morning.

Councilor of Hirilandhu Mohamed Shakeeb said the lightning struck the 300 foot antennae around 4:00am in the morning.

”It was raining heavily and it was thundering non stop that night,” Shakeeb said. ”We switched off the generators providing electricity to the island at 3:00am, because they were having problems probably due to the rain.”

Shakeeb said there was no electricity on the island at all when the lightning hit.

”There was a electric line visible that night traveling across the Dhiraagu antennae and Wataniya antennae,” he said.

”All the televisions and computers which were plugged in to the sockets were damaged, cable TV lines were damaged and two channel lines at the power house were also damaged,” he said.

Communication over mobile phone and land lines run by both Dhiraagu and Wataniya were also down.

”We started receiving connection for mobile phones that afternoon and land line services last night,” Shakeeb said.

He said that last time lightning hit the island was 20 years ago “but there was no antennae there, only palm trees.”

Public Relations and Communication manager of Wataniya Niushad Shareef had not responded to Minivan News at time of press.

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Vilingili Orphanage understaffed and overcrowded

Kudakudhinge Hiya, a temporary shelter for children in Vilingili managed by the Ministry of Health and Family, has been short-staffed “for months,” says Community Health Officer Iyaz Jadulla Naseem.

Iyaz has said he is “very concerned” over the staff shortage in the shelter. “There is a lack of staff,” Iyaz said, “and in the current structure, cooks and labourers’ jobs have been removed from the civil service.”

“We asked the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for a new cook, but they said they can’t send another person because these jobs have been removed [from the civil service].”

Iyaz added that the children’s home is being “treated like a government office,” and the commission has said that a government office has no need for a cook.

“We are not a government office,” Iyaz said, “but this is how they deal with us.”

The home, which has a capacity for 45 children, is currently catering for 51.

They had four registered cooks, but one resigned recently. “Another cook is on leave, so we only have two cooks right now,” Iyaz said.

The cooking shifts are shared, he explained, “but we still have to cook three times a day for the children. Imagine one person cooking for 51 children.”

“Three days ago there was no one to cook the morning shift,” Iyaz said, “so we had to call the afternoon cook to come in the morning as well.”

vilingili_orphanage_12
A lack of chefs is affecting the health of children at Vilingili Orphanage says health worker

He said this “lowers the quality of the food, and one person cannot concentrate for that long.”

Additionally, it means there is only one menu being prepared for all the children.

“We have five month-old babies and ten year-old children eating the same food. We need at least three or four cooks,” Iyaz said.

He said the Human Rights Commission Maldives (HRCM) had said they would go to the CSC to deal with the issue urgently.

Staff at Kudakudhinge Hiya have also spoken to the Ministry of Health and Family, who are “cooperating,” and Iyaz noted that Deputy Minister Mariya Ali “has been very helpful. But they can’t help until the CSC creates these jobs again.”

There had also been reports of several of the children being sick and sent to Indhira Ghandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). “It wasn’t a big outbreak,” Iyaz said, “some vomiting and diarrhoea.”

He said twelve children were sick and “the Food and Drug authority came here to see see if it was food poisoning, but they didn’t think so because only a few children were affected.”

He added the doctors said it was a viral infection.

“Two of the children were admitted to IGMH,” he said, “and one child is still feeling weak but she’s getting better.”

Iyaz said the home is taking the issues to their superiors.

Recently appointed Director of the home confirmed there are four registered cooks, “but one resigned and one is on leave.”

“It is very difficult for one person to cook for all the children,” he said, noting that they are “trying our best and have reported to the Gender Department.”

A child plays with a toy at Vilingili orphanage
A child plays with a toy at Vilingili orphanage

Government response

Deputy Minister of Health and Family Mariya Ali said the biggest problem at Kudakudhinge Hiya is “they don’t have enough staff.”

She said the ministry have recently hired staff and is communicating with the CSC to provide them with new cooks. They are also trying to bring back volunteers.

Mariya said although volunteers had not been able to go for a couple of months, the volunteer programme “is back on track.” She noted that “we have received help from a number of corporate sectors.”

She said the ministry had been trying to pass laws based on guidelines and regulations for children’s homes since 2007, “but they have just been going back and forth from the Attorney General’s office.”

“The costing for regulations to be implemented is being processed,” Mariya explained, noting that the regulations would include clauses on staff to child ratios, staff standards and etiquette, visitation procedures, and general criteria for the institution.

“We will send the guidelines to the AG this week,” she said, “then they will be sent to Parliament. It is very important to maintain children’s homes at a high standard.”

Mariya said that the most important thing was to reduce numbers in children’s homes and improve the criteria of admission.

She added that the Ministry of Health and Family is waiting to sign an MoU with English charity for children, Barnardo’s, for staff “to go to England to learn how to manage children’s institutions.”

Press Secretary for the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair said the government’s plan to restructure the civil service meant there are new considerations for hiring a cook, as there were over 150 cooks in the civil service.

Zuhair said several ministries had been employing cooks and some offices in the health sector, for instance, would have a cook but not a nurse.

“But this is a special area,” he said, “there are special considerations. I’m sure the government will give special consideration to this case.”

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