A senior delegation from the Ministry of Health has conducted an official visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, where it engaged in high-level consultations with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) as part of a broader initiative to strengthen pharmaceutical regulation and enhance the efficiency of supply chains.
The discussions, according to the ministry, centred on four priority areas: reinforcing bilateral regulatory cooperation, advancing quality assurance protocols for medicinal products, improving systems governing pharmaceutical imports and exports, and identifying opportunities for capacity building within the Maldivian health sector.
The delegation’s itinerary, the health ministry said, also included a meeting with representatives of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Association, a move aimed at deepening institutional ties and aligning regulatory frameworks between the two nations.
The delegation also met with senior officials from Pakistan’s Nursing and Midwifery Council and the University, where discussions centred on developing nursing competencies and establishing training programmes to strengthen the professional capacity of the nursing workforce.
The visit marked a step in the ministry’s wider campaign to address persistent medicine shortages in the country. Officials pointed to a marked increase in pharmaceutical imports and presented plans designed to streamline access to essential medicines across the country.
Among the measures outlined by the administration of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu is the development of an uninterrupted medicine supply system, intended to reduce public complaints and ensure consistent availability. Under the plan, all medications required by inpatients, the ministry said, will be administered directly through hospital systems, removing the need for patients to obtain treatments independently.
According to the ministry, the model is on track to become fully operational in all regional and tertiary hospitals by year’s end, with phased implementation continuing at additional healthcare institutions.