Health Minister says the core difficulty is ensuring steady access to essential medicines in a small, low‑volume market

Health Minister Geela Ali has said that one of the biggest challenges in the health sector is ensuring the availability of essential medicines for the diseases most commonly affecting the public.

Speaking on PSM’s Raajje Miadhu programme, Geela said 30 percent of the medicines required in Maldives are supplied by the state‑owned STO, while the remaining 70 percent are supplied by the private sector.

The minister said the Maldivian market is small, and pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors find it difficult to supply limited quantities as a viable business. As a result, it is not feasible for multiple companies to import the same medicine into the country.

Geela said the health sector is making various efforts to address medicine shortages, but access remains difficult.

“Drug manufacturers will continue to sell drugs in the most profitable way. That is a fact that everyone must accept,” she said.

The minister said the government’s pharmaceutical company has already brought in some medicines in its first shipments. However, STO continues to import medicines, and both entities are working together to minimise disruptions that may arise during a transition in import responsibilities.

Geela noted that medicines in Maldives are registered under specific individuals or companies, who then hold the rights to import and distribute them under agreements with suppliers. Therefore, importing a medicine through another party becomes difficult unless new agreements are signed.

“The State Pharma Company is working with our neighbouring countries… Aasandha is working to control the price of medicines, and to prevent medicines from being sold at very high profit margins by determining their minimum retail price,” Health Minister Geela Ali said.

Geela said there are many challenges in the medicine supply system, but the hope is to strengthen the capacity of the government pharmaceutical company so it can import the essential medicines needed in Maldives. She said the government is working to achieve that goal.

The shortage of medicines for several common conditions remain a concern for the public, with periodic complaints of stock-outs.

Meanwhile, concerns persist despite the establishment of the state pharmaceutical company. The company said it began importing medicines just last month, six months after its inception.