President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has enacted a series of comprehensive reforms in a significant effort to alleviate financial burdens and address medicine shortages within the national healthcare insurance scheme—Aasandha. These changes, recommended by the cabinet, were prompted by a detailed review of a proposal submitted by the Ministry of Health during the cabinet meeting held on Sunday.
According to a statement from the President's Office, a suite of measures has been introduced to enhance the Aasandha healthcare scheme. A mechanism will be established to ensure that all prescribed medicines in the country are registered under Aasandha. Additionally, treatment guidelines will be finalised to standardise medical practices across the healthcare system.
To streamline the availability of medicines, a dashboard is being developed to enable doctors to view the availability of medicines through the State Trading Organisation (STO). According to the President's Office, doctors will be apprised of these changes to ensure they are informed and up-to-date with the new system.
All medicines on the approved drug list will be made continuously available in STO pharmacies without interruptions, the statement said. STO is also set to secure the necessary permissions to import medicines from foreign hospitals empanelled by Aasandha, in compliance with Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) policies. As a long-term solution, STO will establish a direct procurement system from manufacturers.
The reforms extend to the establishment of four General Practitioner (GP) clinics in Malé, according to the President's Office, ensuring uninterrupted access to medicines through the STO pharmacy. This initiative will also be implemented across all islands and regional hospitals, guaranteeing that medicines are provided exclusively through Aasandha. Should any medicines be unavailable on the islands, they will be supplied by STO upon request. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will expand its role in facilitating the importation of medicines from abroad.
Addressing service delivery issues, the President's Office stated that the health ministry will tackle any concerns referred to them. Inpatients will gain access to medicines from hospitals via STO, and the MFDA will trace every imported medicine. A digital system will be introduced to allow patients to track the availability and location of medicines through their prescriptions.
In his presidential address, President Dr Muizzu assured that the administration will enact measures to ensure citizens do not encounter obstacles or financial hardships when procuring medicines through Aasandha.