MNDF personnel to be eligible for treatment in Indian Armed Forces medical institutions

The government of India has announced that Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) personnel would henceforth be eligible for treatment in Armed Forces medical institutions in India, for major surgeries and treatment of serious illness.

The Indian government said in a statement that this decision was made during a meeting between India’s Defence Minister AK Anthony and Maldives’ Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim yesterday.

Nazim is presently in India on an official visit.

The two officials discussed strengthening defence relations between the two countries, training Maldivian medical specialists in India, and deputation of Indian armed forces medical specialists to Maldives.

They also decided to hold the next joint exercise in 2014, as part of efforts to enhance defence ties between the two countries.

India’s Defence Ministry has said that Nazim will visit their Southern Naval Command facilities tomorrow, and during this visit, a helicopter will be symbolically handed over to MNDF.