The Maldives National University Student Union (MNUSU) and medical students shared concerns over plans to relocate the MNU medical school from Dharumavantha hospital to the university's main campus during a meeting held at the President's Office on Friday.
Senior officials from the President's Office, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and MNU took part in the meeting, the student's union said in a press statement.
The union and medical students detailed their concerns to the participants of the meeting, the statement noted.
The President's Office gave assurances that the government would not do anything that would hinder studies and that the President accords a high priority to protecting the educational rights of the medical students. The officials also assured that better facilities would be established in the future.
"The hope given on behalf of the government that students won't face any misfortune has provided relief to our hearts. Hope has been renewed that more than 200 students studying at the medical school could stay at the 8th and 14th floors of Dharumavantha hospital until they get permanent shelter," the student's union said in their statement.
The statement called for making arrangements for studies to continue at the current premises as the students wish because resolving the problem permanently would take time.
More than 1,000 students at the central administration would be affected if medical students from seven batches were transferred to the main campus, the student's union previously said.
The union urged the government to expedite the planned development of a special hospital for students at the MNU School of Medical Sciences.
Two floors at the Dharumavantha hospital were leased to MNU when the country's first medical school was established in 2018. The floors were leased for 10 years until the medical school could be built.
However, the authorities decided to transfer students to the main campus in order to set up more in-patient wards at the government-run hospital.
In a statement released on Thursday in response to concerns, MNU said it was working on setting up practical laboratories to ensure that studies are not disrupted.
"...moreover, we note that students will continue to receive the work experience they need at Dharumavantha hospital as before," the MNU statement read.
The university is working with the government on building the medical school in Hulhumale', MNU said.
