The government of India has donated medical equipment to Senahiya Military Hospital run under the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

The donation was handed over to Minister of Defence and National Security Mariya Ahmed Didi by Defence Secretary of India, Dr. Ajay Kumar during a special ceremony held at the MNDF Headquarters, Bandaara Koshi on Monday.

The donation included medical equipment weighing 2,800 kilograms in total, consisting of some emergency supplies and equipment used in hospitals.

With the generous donation, the Maldivian minister extended gratitude to the people and government of India for the unwavering support towards the health and well-being of Maldivians and towards the improvement of Maldives’ healthcare system.

Mariya stated that she was touched by the positivity shown by Dr. Kumar and the team at the defence talks between Maldives and India. She remains grateful for the assistance extended by India to further enhance the defence force and help the force achieve the common goal of maintaining peace and stability in the Indian Ocean Region.

Further, MNDF officials remain extremely grateful to the Indian government for the donation that they hope will facilitate better provision of medical care.

Taking to Twitter, the High Commission of India in Maldives revealed that the Indian Medical team at Senahiya continues to support MNDF’s healthcare efforts and will continue to partner with the Maldivian authorities for the health and wellbeing of the people.

Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid also took to Twitter following the donation, expressing that the medical equipment donated by the Indian government will enhance the health services capacity and emergency response efforts, adding that the “special” gesture is a “true” symbol of the “absolute” strength of the partnership between Maldives and India.

The ceremony was joined by Chief of Defense Force Major General Abdulla Shamaal, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel, Vice Chief of Defence Force Brigadier General Abdul Raheem Abdul Latheef, MNDF officials, senior officials at the foreign ministry as well as officials of the Indian delegation currently undertaking a visit to the Maldives.

As part of the Indian Defence Secretary’s ongoing visit, the Maldives Defence Cooperation Dialogue was also held this week.

The meeting, co-chaired by Dr Kumar and Chief of Defence Force Abdulla Shamaal, saw discussions held on joint efforts and capacity building measures to counter transnational crimes and enhance security in the region.

Further, the Indian Defence Secretary called on the Maldivian defence minister to express his gratitude for her support in enhancing defence relations between the two countries.

During the meeting, Minister Mariya thanked the government of India for the “immense” assistance provided throughout the pandemic, including vaccine donations, medical supplies, transportation of food supplies, humanitarian assistance as well as technical support for MNDF, with more than 170 medical evacuations and 130 surveillance missions conducted in the past couple of years.

With this being said, Mariya expressed sincere appreciation for the Coast Guard Dockyard project set to go down as the most comprehensive defence infrastructure development project carried out in Maldives.

During the meeting, Dr. Kumar highlighted that the government of India remains committed to further enhance the partnership between the two countries.