Ref #: 2010-123

The Cabinet has today discussed establishing quarantine facilities to international standards, at international airports and sea ports in the Maldives.

Deliberating on a paper presented by the Ministry of Health and Family at today’s meeting on the matter, members highlighted the importance establishing permanent quarantine facilities. Speaking on the benefits of such facilities, members said, in a situation of a pandemic disease, infected passengers could be more effectively quarantined and treated in a permanent facility. In addition, members agreed that a permanent facility would eliminate setting up of temporary quarantine facilities for each outbreak of a pandemic.

The Cabinet also decided that Ministry of Health and Family, in collaboration with National Disaster Management Centre to prepare a paper on how to set up quarantine facilities, and to make necessary arrangements to establish isolation facilities.

During today’s meeting members also discussed on ways of reducing expatriates working as support staff in the Maldives, and increasing the recruitment of locals for such posts.

At the meeting, members also discussed implementing tighter and more efficient budgetary control mechanisms.