In the Maldives, demand for modern, high-quality healthcare is growing. However, owing to the lack of clinics and healthcare centres, more and more patients are travelling abroad for treatment. But not all patients can afford such trips.

The ADK Hospital in the capital city of Malé is the only private hospital in the island state and, in addition to a general medicine department, has a number of specialist departments such as Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Dermatology. DEG is now providing the ADK Hospital with a long-term loan of 12m US-dollars with which the hospital plans to expand its range of healthcare services considerably. For instance, a care unit for older patients is to be set up and the surgery and intensive care units modernised. The clinic employs some 400 people, with another 130 or so new jobs to be created through the planned expansion.

The ADK Hospital will also be using these funds to expand the range of courses offered by its own School of Health Science, which trains not only its own staff but also external students.

In addition, the ADK Hospital works together with various schools from surrounding areas and offers free check-ups for schoolchildren. As well as this, the clinic sends doctors and nurses to rural areas and provides lower-income families with financial support for expensive treatments.