NSPA must cut costs to survive on MVR 1.1 billion budget: CEO

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) Abdulla Mohamed Didi has said that the agency must cut costs to make ends meet with the MVR 1.1 billion budget allocated for 2014.

Abdulla Mohamed Didi said this while speaking on Sun TV Plus program Fifty Minutes last night.

He said that the budget allocated for NSPA for 2014 is similar to its debt carried forward from last year, and that difficulties will be faced in providing services to the public.

Abdulla Mohamed Didi said that development of regional hospitals across the country, provision of doctors to those hospitals, and establishing a salary structure for doctors would help reduce the cost of its health insurance scheme.

He said that the system might collapse if there are no doctors in island hospitals and patients have to constantly be referred to other hospitals.

“We are facing several challenges in providing our services. But what we have to do now is pay off the debt, and provide services to the best of our abilities. We need a suitable platform to provide subsidies, health insurance schemes, and various social protection schemes,” said Abdulla Mohamed Didi.

He noted that progress has been made in overcoming these challenges.

“The debt owed to overseas hospitals has been almost paid off. Also, Finance Ministry has assured that we will receive the money required to pay pharmacies in islands once the government cash flow improves,” he said.