Medicine Shortage, National Service, Prolonged Pre-trial Detention: Highlights from President’s Special Press Conference to Celebrate Press Freedom Day

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu held a press conference today in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day.

The first session, which began at 10 AM, focused on updating journalists on the government’s latest initiatives and ongoing projects. This marked the first time President Muizzu has held a press conference open to questions from the media since December 2023.

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Our team will be covering the key takeaways from the press conference. For now, here are some highlights related to medicine shortages, the indefinite detention of individuals caught in prolonged court proceedings, and the Maldives National Defence Force’s youth programme.

Medicine Shortages Due To Willful Retaliation From Businesses, Says Muizzu

Addressing the medical shortages the Maldives faced recently, he said they were manufactured purposefully by businesses in retaliation for the Aasandha reform steps the government took to stop wastage. He said the authorities had observed that prescription drug importers were selling medicines to the public while simultaneously charging Aasandha, the universal healthcare scheme, inflated prices, sometimes marked up by thousands of per cent.

“These private companies were taking money from Aasandha. Isn’t this a massive waste? Profits ranged from several hundred to even one or two thousand per cent,” he said.

He added that some business owners became tycoons by accumulating wealth through this practice.

He said that once the government introduced a price cap to address the issue, these importers deliberately halted the supply of medicines as a form of retaliation.

President Muizzu added that, as of 20 April, the government had revised the price cap to allow a slightly increased margin, enabling importers to claim a higher amount from Aasandha. However, he noted that the profit would still be lower than what they previously received.

According to the latest update he received from the State Trading Organisation (STO), all medicines on the essential list, except for ten, are now available in the Maldives.

Of the 1,207 medicines on the approved drug list, 784 generic medicines are currently available in the Maldives. The government has placed orders for 308 more and is actively seeking suppliers for the remaining 115.

MNDF’s National Service To Start With An Approximate MVR 6,000 Allowance 

President Muizzu announced that all participants in the MNDF’s upcoming National Service programme for Maldivian youth will receive a monthly allowance of approximately MVR 6,000 during their service period. While the exact amount is yet to be finalised, he confirmed the allowance would be within that range.

He said the program will be open to individuals aged between 16 and 28, who will undergo military training and receive capacity-building skills. Participants will have the option to continue their careers in the military or transition into other sectors.

The National Service programme aims to create opportunities for those who have completed their formal education, are not pursuing further studies, or are already employed. However, President Muizzu noted that individuals with higher education or prior work experience are also eligible, provided they fall within the specified age range.

He described the programme as a golden opportunity and urged the public to view it positively.

Prolonged Pre-Trial Issue To Be Addressed By July

President Dr Mohamed Muizzu revealed there are a total of 354 people in “Vaanuvaa Bandhu,” or prolonged pre-trial detention. 

They are usually ordered to be kept in detention until their trial is over. However, due to delays and backlogs in the Maldives’ court system, people sometimes spend years in this state of not knowing when they will be released, for which the detention has been named as such, referring to arbitary detention people spend in state custody unknowing of if, how and when they may be released.

Accusations under which people are in the Vaanuvaa Bandhu:

• Murder, or participating in violence using a sharp weapon: 70
• Child sexual abuse, forceful sexual relations and rape: 108
• Terrorism: 17
• Drug-related crimes: 110
• Miscellaneous: 49

“When we look into this, a lot of cases are delayed due to the lack of space in court systems,” President Muizzu explained in Dhivehi. 

He said that when the current administration took office, there were already plans to relocate the existing courts to Hulhumalé, specifically to one of the buildings previously used by the former administration as a COVID-19 facility. According to him, once the Criminal Court is transferred to that building, it will have the infrastructure needed to handle multiple cases simultaneously.

“This is where the bottleneck is happening, because [they] can’t do the cases. There isn’t even a legal barrier; they just aren’t able to carry out the work,” he said.

He also pointed out that the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) is facing similar difficulties due to a lack of resources. He said the PGO has submitted a request to the Ministry of Finance for funding, including provisions to recruit additional personnel.