The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has decided to introduce insurance for the medical treatment of those suffering from chronic diseases such as cancer on the Zakat Funds’ national registry of the poor.
The initiative will commence with the start of the Islamic new year and is being implemented in partnership with Allied Insurance.
The Ministry said the insurance scheme is designed to facilitate coverage of treatment abroad which are not covered by the universal health insurance scheme, Aasandha. It will assist in securing life-saving treatment and medicines from overseas when required, it added.
The current Administration has launched several initiatives to increase awareness and streamline Zakat distribution and collection systems in the country. The efforts have led to an increase in Zakat contributions in the past two years.
In addition to medical expenses, the Zakat Fund had provided financial assistance as essential aid, Quran and religious education.
Although the collection and distribution of Zakat was previously done by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, it is now the responsibility of the Maldives Zakat House. The Zakat House was established with the recommendation of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, and was inaugurated in January 2024.