Non-emergency ambulance services have been launched under the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha.
Speaking at a press conference held at the President’s Office on Monday, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu said amendments had been made to the regulations of “Husnuvaa Aasandha”, the universal national health scheme, to accommodate these changes. He added that the decision followed extensive discussions to meet public demand.
“This is a decision we finalised after several days of discussions, taking into account technical considerations, as well as financial, budgetary implications and operational factors. This has been a frequent public request. Due to the many difficulties faced, this is something that has long been awaited to provide ease. That is why we held discussions and made this change. I can assure you that this will make it easier for residents,” President Muizzu said.
While ambulance services were previously provided for emergencies, the transportation of deceased persons was a paid service. In addition, transporting bedridden individuals for outpatient treatment posed significant challenges.
Under the amendments, ambulance services will now be provided in seven specific situations, including emergency transport and the transportation of deceased persons.
Services will also be available for outpatient care, including for bedridden individuals, wheelchair users, persons with disabilities and individuals with thalassaemia. Bedridden patients will also be covered for transport between hospitals or health centres, as well as transfers to airports or jetties during evacuations.
As part of the expansion, the government is working to provide more islands with ambulance services under a specialised initiative. So far, 56 ambulances have been distributed by Maldives Ports Limited (MPL), with two rounds of distribution carried out last month alone.
In addition, the government said paramedic ambulances are being procured for islands with larger populations. The aim is to establish reliable, continuous ambulance services across all islands in the country.