Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen has stated that flight schedules will now prioritise emergency evacuations. He made the remark following a recent tragic incident that led to the death of a 13-year-old, which some have attributed to a delay in transporting him to the hospital.
Speaking to PSM News, Minister Ameen said that the current procedure is for doctors to submit a form to the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) or Aasandha to receive approval to transport a patient in emergency cases. After which, a free Maldivian Airlines aircraft will transport the patient. He said that this procedure has resulted in delays in the transfer of patients, as Maldivian usually does not have aircraft free for transport.
As such, Minister Ameen said that a new procedure has now been implemented that will allow patients to be transported quickly by placing them at the top of the flight schedule in emergency cases. He added that hospitals will now directly inform Maldivian of the patient, after which the national airline will elevate the schedule to an emergency flight. He highlighted that the government will now prioritise responding to emergency situations involving citizens.