Government is in the process of adding 10 more vessels to its sea ambulance fleet, the Minister of Defence, Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon has revealed.
Responding to questions by lawmakers in Parliament last week, Minister Ghassan said the sea ambulance service is given special priority by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and continues to respond to requests across the country.
However, the Minister noted that the MNDF currently does not possess enough vessels to cover the entire country leading to delays.
"There are challenges in providing services due to the shortage of vessels and breakdowns. However, despite the limitation we are continually providing the service. The Defence Ministry is working to procure 10 more speedboats this year to alleviate these challenges,” he explained.
In addition to the round the clock sea ambulance service, the government last year had launched the country’s first ever air ambulance service. In its first year, over 900 patients have been evacuated across over more than 700 flights.