Minister of Health, Abdulla Nazim has announced that all administrative work required for the establishment of a dedicated cancer hospital in the Maldives has been completed, with practical work expected to begin soon.
The Minister made the announcement while speaking on the ‘Ahaa Forum’, a public engagement programme aimed at facilitating direct interaction between government officials and the public.
Speaking on the forum, Minister Nazim said the government attaches great importance to providing treatment opportunities to cancer patients. The minister confirmed that all the administrative work required to build the first cancer hospital in the Maldives has been completed, including the technical feasibility and development of a concept plan. The government is currently seeking financial assistance for the implementation phase, he said.
"All the necessary preparations on paper have been completed. The technical feasibility of the project has been considered and the concept has been formulated. The practical work of the hospital will start soon,” the Minister said.
The Health Minister also highlighted the measures taken by the government to encourage the public to focus on cancer prevention. This includes measures to distance the society from cancer-causing habits such as smoking, including the introduction of a generational ban on smoking, banning the import of e-cigarettes and increasing import duties on cigarettes.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu had earlier announced that the development of a cancer hospital in the Maldives will commence this year. He made the announcement at an official ceremony held on the occasion of the Republic Day last year. This year's budget also includes funds for the construction of a cancer hospital.
Speaking at the forum, the Health Minister also revealed plans to compile a national register of patients on treatment for chronic diseases, and establish a special centre to dispense medicines for those on the register.
The Minister acknowledged that those on long-term treatment for chronic illnesses face significant challenges in accessing medicines. To address this, the government has decided to compile a formal register of chronic patients and set up a dedicated centre to provide their medicines, he said.
"Some drugs are prescription-only drugs. As a long-term policy, the most important step now is to maintain a registry of patient taking medication for chronic conditions,” the Health Minister said.
The Minister said that the major hospitals in the city and the atolls have already started issuing medicines to such individuals to provide a solution. He said the system has been shaped such that the hospital where the patient seeks treatment will provide the necessary medication.
The government is working to strengthen the system to increase the supply of medicines through the State Trading Organisation, STO, strengthen governance to improve the quality of medicines, as well as increase the number of staff in charge of medicines and make them more skilled and capable.
In addition, the Ministry of Health is working to reform the Aasandha portal used for issuing prescriptions, enhance treatment guidelines, strengthen the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA)’s system and further train STO pharmacists.