The government has inaugurated medical laboratory facilities across 18 islands, marking the opening phase of a national initiative to decentralise healthcare infrastructure throughout the country.
Overseen by the Ministry of Health, the project aims to equip a further 76 islands with diagnostic capabilities within the current year, in line with a state mandate to ensure all citizens can access medical testing within their home communities.
The expansion follows a directive from President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to establish critical infrastructure on every inhabited island. “Following the President’s allocation of resources within the 2026 budget and the delegation of this mandate to our ministry, we have successfully inaugurated these 18 laboratories starting in late 2025,” said Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim during an inauguration ceremony on Maakurathu in Raa Atoll.
Minister Nazim noted that rural healthcare had historically been neglected under previous policies that failed to address the specific needs of island communities.
Alongside the laboratory rollout, the administration has introduced new X-ray services on four islands, easing logistical challenges faced by residents. “This fulfils a critical necessity for our community; previously, experiencing a medical event or requiring a basic diagnostic test meant undertaking a voyage to another island, making this local development a profound convenience,” a resident said.
The fulfilment of this pledge is expected to eliminate the need for residents to travel to regional hospitals or the capital, Malé, for essential tests. By providing localised blood transfusion services and routine diagnostic testing, the new facilities are set to reduce out-of-pocket expenses while alleviating the physical burden long faced by residents in the outer atolls.