Health in Maldives

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare sets health-service standards and coordinates care. The Health Protection Agency handles prevention, vaccination, health surveillance and public-health units. Licensed public and private facilities can be checked through the Ministry's registry, and professional standards are overseen by the Maldives Medical and Dental Council, Maldives Nursing and Midwifery Council and Maldives Allied Health Council. The Maldives Food and Drug Authority regulates medicines and food products, including the Approved Drug List and essential-medicines rules. The health system has three connected levels. An Island Health Centre or clinic usually provides routine consultations, basic treatment, prevention and follow-up. Atoll or regional facilities provide maternal, newborn and specialist services. Tertiary care is available through five regional tertiary hospitals and facilities in Greater Malé, including Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Central Medical Hospital. A patient with an acute higher-level need may move directly to a higher level without completing every referral step. Health facilities operate on each inhabited island, but distance and transport availability can affect access. Public-health units provide vaccination, health education, growth monitoring for children under five, reproductive-health services and outbreak control. The official schedule gives BCG and hepatitis B at birth; bOPV and pentavalent vaccine at two, four and six months; IPV at six months; measles-rubella vaccine and vitamin A at nine months; MMR and vitamin A at 18 months; DPT at four years; and HPV at ten years. Aasandha check-ups are generally available once a year and sometimes twice a year, with packages for people under 18, ages 19 to 39, and people aged 40 or older. Appointments are made directly with the participating Government Hospital or Health Centre. A referral to Atoll Hospital, a regional tertiary hospital or Greater Malé may include the attending doctor's referral, Vinavi information, clinical findings and reports, and, where needed, MEDI or SBAR communication. Identification or a passport copy is relevant for Aasandha transfers. Transport may take place by air or sea according to the patient's condition, distance and availability. For emergencies, call 119. The Aasandha 24-hour hotline is 1400. Self-arranged payment for transport is not reimbursed under Aasandha. Aasandha covers prescribed eligible services in public facilities without charge for Maldivian nationals who qualify with a National ID or Passport Card. Covered medicines are supplied without charge through empanelled pharmacies. Overseas treatment is considered when the required service is not available locally, normally beginning with an empanelled provider in India or Sri Lanka and requiring Medical Team approval. A complete overseas-care application can take up to 24 hours, while an emergency referral is handled according to the stated service target of up to two hours. The consulted sources do not establish a matching Aasandha entitlement for non-Maldivians, so eligibility should be confirmed directly. After discharge, the facility sends relevant information to the island primary-care unit when follow-up is needed. Follow-up appointments, adherence support, medication management and community care help continue treatment after a hospital stay. Mental-health support includes the 24-hour helpline 1677 and Dhamanaveshi home visits. Community reintegration is part of the mental-health approach. A patient can choose a licensed provider and submit or track a service complaint through Maaharaa.