The council in Vaadhoo island of Gaaf Dhaal atoll has raised concerns that the recruitment of essential staff for the island’s health center is being deliberately obstructed, resulting in a severe shortage of personnel and declining service quality.

Speaking on RaajjeTV’s ‘Fashaairu’ morning talk show on Saturday, Council President Hassan Abdulla stressed that although the Vaadhoo Health Center is officially designated as a 24-hour facility, it lacks the required staff to maintain continuous operations.

He said that the situation has worsened due to deliberate delays and restrictions imposed on new hiring by the current administration.

Noting that with recruitment stalled, long-serving employees, some with over 25 years of service, are reportedly being forced to shoulder multiple responsibilities, including administrative and cleaning duties, under increasingly difficult conditions, the council president described this as an alarming and unsustainable situation that undermines the provision of basic healthcare on the island.

The Vaadhoo Health Center was upgraded to a 24-hour facility during former President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s administration. However, since the change in government, progress in strengthening the center’s services and staffing has come to a standstill, leaving residents frustrated and healthcare workers overburdened.