President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on Sunday visited the National Thalassemia Center in Male’ to listen to the concerns of patients and their families, and observed the center's daily operations.
Since late Saturday, dozens of patients and family members have been protesting over the lack of availability of blood purification filters.
Maldivian Blood Service (MBS) said the foreign company has discontinued the production of Haemonetics blood filters used in the Maldives. So the service in collaboration with the State Trading Organisation (STO) is currently in the process of procuring new filters which is expected to be available by May.
The Service is also in the process of procuring prestorage filtration to further enhance patient care, it said.
During his visit to the center, President Dr Muizzu had individually met the patients and their families to affirm swift solutions to their concerns.
He also met with staff and senior officials of the center to discuss key challenges, providing guidance and instructions on effective and swift solutions to improve patient care.
There are currently around 650 active Thalassemia patients in the Maldives.
Families of thalassemia patients often encounter numerous challenges in accessing necessary treatments, such as bone marrow transplants. In response, the government has implemented various measures to alleviate these issues and ensure that services are accessible within the country. As such, the ministry has stated that bone marrow transplant services will be offered in the Thalassemia Hospital being established in Hulhumale', fulfilling the pledge of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.