Health Minister Abdullah Nazim Ibrahim stated today that improving the state of the Maldivian health system requires thinking from different perspectives and changing the way things have been done before. He also mentioned that medicine prices in the Maldives are high even by global standards.
Speaking at the official ceremony to inaugurate the upgraded Hulhumalé Hospital to tertiary level, Nazim said that the public’s criticism of the Maldivian health system is the biggest encouragement to advance, develop, and keep the system on the right track.
Highlighting that the government has begun reviewing and addressing the issues in the deteriorated health sector, Nazim expressed that it is a great satisfaction to have a leader who can bring revolutionary progress to this sector.
The greatest satisfaction for the health system is that we have a leader who recognizes that we cannot reach our desired destination by continuing to do things the way they were done before, and whose actions and words are directed towards this path,” Nazim said.
Nazim stated that no progress can be made by continuing to do things as they were done before, and that a difference can only be made by thinking from a different angle. He also said that the burden on the health system in the Malé area cannot be eased without developing and expanding services at Hulhumalé Hospital and Vilimalé Hospital.
“The health policy of this government is being shaped, and the President’s policy is guiding us towards a different approach than before. It’s a policy that recognizes that the burden on Malé’s health system can only be improved by developing Hulhumalé Hospital and Vilimalé Hospital,” Nazim said.
He also emphasized that the issues in the health sector cannot be resolved without developing the health system in the atolls. He stated that the problems cannot be solved without examining the structure of the Maldivian health system and addressing the needs of special groups.
According to Nazim, the state of the Maldivian health system has deteriorated because necessary measures were not taken when they should have been. He also mentioned that medicine prices in the Maldives are high even by global standards, and that 60% of Aasandha (national health insurance) expenditure is on medicines alone.
“Of the large expenditure made through Aasandha, 60% is spent on medicines alone. Medicine is not the only treatment. It’s just a small part of this system. Medicine prices in the Maldives are high even by global standards. This situation has arisen due to the lack of proper oversight and failure to take necessary measures when needed,” Nazim said.
The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has recently decided to change the prices of the 250 most frequently prescribed medicines under the Aasandha scheme to make it a sustainable system providing quality services. As part of this phased approach, prices of 87 medicines will be changed from November 1, and prices of 126 medicines will be changed from November 24.
These measures are expected to reduce the prices of expensive medicines and save 220 million rufiyaa annually from Aasandha’s medicine expenditure, according to NSPA.
