Health Minister: 60% of doctors in Maldives are foreigners

Health Minister Geela Ali told Parliament on Monday that 60 percent of the doctors currently working in Maldives are foreign nationals.

Geela was summoned to the Parliament for a questioning session, where she was asked by PNC MP for Mahchangolhi Central Ahmed Zameer about the composition of the country’s health workforce and the government’s efforts to increase Maldivian participation in the sector.

Responding to the question, Geela said Maldives continues to rely heavily on expatriate professionals to deliver essential health services across the country.

“Sixty percent of the doctors are already foreign doctors working in our service,” she said, noting that the country’s health system is being sustained by a large number of foreign workers.

According to last year’s statistics, more than 12,000 health workers are employed in Maldives. Of these, over 7,000 are service providers working in the atolls, while more than 5,000 are based in urban areas. She said more than 3,400 foreigners are currently working in the health sector.

Geela said the government’s aim is to gradually reduce reliance on foreign doctors by increasing the number of Maldivians entering the field. She said training programs are already being conducted through the National University and other institutions to expand the local workforce.

Every year, new Maldivian doctors join the service after graduating. So far this year, 16 Maldivian doctors have joined Dharumavantha Hospital and IGMH after completing specialist training, a development Geela described as an encouraging sign for the future of the sector.

She said the administration is working on long-term plans to strengthen specialist training, expand medical education opportunities, and build a sustainable Maldivian workforce capable of meeting the country’s growing healthcare needs.