Blood spilt in DRP-MDP scuffle

Three men attacked and injured an Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporter during a protest outside TVM studios last night.

MDP and DRP supporters had gathered outside TVM and were shouting abuse at each other while Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Ahmed Nihan was inside appearing on a TV program.

Minivan News witnessed three men attack the MDP supporter, who was left with a bleeding forehead.

Police arrived and took the injured man, Ibrahim ‘Baikendi’ Manik, to hospital, and had to restrain MDP supporters from attacking a DRP member.

Ibrahim claimed he had “no idea” why the he was attacked, and said his forehead and wrist were injured in the incident and he collapsed.

DRP spokesman Ibrahim Shareef said the attackers were not DRP supporters, and that “while MDP supporters often attack DRP members, DRP supporters never attack MDP supporters.”.

Police Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said no arrests had been made, and the case was considered closed.

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Airports Company transfers 200 employees

More than 200 employees from the Maldives Airports Company will be transferred to the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Maldivian National Defense Force (MNDF).

Managing Director Mohamed Ibrahim said 84 employees working at the air traffic control tower will be transferred tothe  civil aviation ministry while 179 airport security officers will be transferred to the MNDF.

The company is being restructured and the transfer of employees is part of the downsizing project.

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Police arrest three connected to gang rape

Police have confirmed that three men have been arrested for raping a 40 year old woman in Gnaviyani Faumulaku.

The woman and her husband were stopped by three masked men on Friday night. After being taken at knife point to a remote beach area of the island, the men tied the husband to a tree and gang raped the woman.

Police said that the men were arrested with assistance from the Fuamulak community and the Fuamulak Crime Prevention Committee.

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Childrens’ park reopens

The ‘Kudakudhinge Bageecha’ childrens’ park has reopened today, after the government eased the swine flu alert level.

The park has been closed down since 25 November after the health ministry raised the swine flu alert level from three to four.

The park is run by the Maldivian National Defense Force (MNDF) and is open everyday from 4 to 6 pm.

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President returns after visit to Abu Dabi, Bahrain and India

President Mohamed Nasheed has returned home after finishing his visit to Abu Dabi, Bahrain and India.

During this visit Nasheed addressed the world future energy summit and met Bahrain’s senior government officials, as well as members of the banking, investment, and finance sectors.

While in India he attended the partnership summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, and signed an agreement with Apollo Hospitals to manage Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

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Port of Colombo releases Maldivian Ship

A ship owned by the Maldivian National Shipping Ltd, (MNSL) has been released by the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka after being impounded for three months.

According to Haveeru, the 8000 tonne ship was apprehended on 5 November 2009.

The ship had owed money to a Singaporean company and has now paid the total amount, Haveeru reports.

Another Maldivian ship was also trapped for 20 days in Malaysia during July 2009 over issues regarding payments for oil.

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Islamic Ministry inspects mosque building projects

The Islamic Ministry has inspected the construction of new mosques in Haa Dhaalu Nolhivaram, Shaviyani Ihaimagu and some other islands in Shaviyani atoll.

The ministry reports that the construction of a new mosque at Nolhivaram was taking too long and had prompted the inspection, while the mosque at Shaviyani Ihaimagu had been completed.

The team returned from the inspection yesterday.

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Apollo Hospital Group to run IGMH in privatisation deal

The ministry of health and family has announced a 15 year agreement with Apollo Hospital Group to manage Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’.

The deal was signed on behalf of the government by Health Minister Dr Aminath Jameel and Dr Preetha Reddy, who represented Apollo Hospital Group.

Apollo estimates it will need to spend US$25 million to bring the hospital up to global standards, according to the  Economic Times, an Indian newspaper.

A statement released by the ministry claimed the objective of the deal is to improve health services while keeping prices stable.

Apollo Hospital Group was first established in 1983, and is now considered the third largest private healthcare provider in the world. The company currently administrates 8,000 beds and has plans to reach 15,000 beds, reports the Economic Times.

Apollo is expected to make an assessment of the hospital’s needs in the first three months, and plans to offer orthopedics, cardiology, gastro, neurology and acute care and trauma specialities in the first phase of the privatisation deal. The hospital will set up and operate a cardiology unit within the year, the health ministry added.

Chairman of the privatisation committee Mahmood Razee said one of the first changes to be made by Apollo would be to management.

“The major issue was that the management structure [at IGMH] was not working properly, this led to high costs and some services and medicines not being available. The overall qaulity of service went down,” he said.

“Over the next three months there will be structural changes to management changes at IGMH, and an evaluation plan will be submitted as well. Apollo group gives IGMH the advantage of economies of scale, which will lower the overall running costs.”

The hospital’s new management group has also revealed its intentions to make 80% of its employees Maldivian over a 15 year period, although it was unclear as to how this would be achieved given the lack of medical higher education facilities in the country.

Another objective the ministry noted was to ensure that all employees are treated within the correct employment regulations set by the government.

Razee noted that the deal was not part of the government’s public-private partnership scheme.

A doctor working at IGMH said staff were unable to comment on the deal “because we haven’t been officially informed yet. All the information we have received has come through the media.”

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