The Minister of Health, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has strongly endorsed the establishment of the State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation Limited (SPMSC), calling the move an essential step toward significantly strengthening the nation’s health sector and ensuring continuous resource availability.
The SPMSC, created by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu in September, is designed to revolutionise the procurement of medicines and medical consumables nationwide.
Speaking to PSM News’ ‘Hafthaa 104’ programme to mark the second anniversary of this administration, Minister Nazim explained that the new state-owned corporation will centralise and streamline the bulk importation of essential medical supplies.
He stressed that as standards of care and infrastructure improve across regional hospitals and urban centres, the consequent demand for medicines and consumables will continue to grow exponentially.
"For example, look at Fuel Supply Maldives; they continually analyse the global market to import the cheapest and best quality fuel available," he explained, drawing a direct parallel.
"Just as Maldives can import cheap and good fuel sustainably, we have established a company now focusing exclusively on pharmaceuticals and medical consumables to achieve the same efficiency and quality standards."
The Minister highlighted that the new strategic procurement focus addresses a major fiscal challenge, noting that importing medicines represents the single largest expenditure within the universal health insurance system.
By specialising in bulk procurement, the SPMSC aims to reduce costs while ensuring a reliable stock of critical supplies, a necessity for maintaining uninterrupted health services nationwide.
Administrative arrangements necessary to fully operationalise the SPMSC is currently underway with Dr Shah Mahir, a seasoned professional with extensive experience in the healthcare field, has been appointed as the Managing Director of the corporation, which is tasked with expanding the bulk import of medicinal drugs, equipment, and consumables.
Minister Nazim stressed that this strategic corporate structure is vital for securing the long-term resilience and sustainability of the Maldivian healthcare system.