Gov’t to Expand Sea Ambulance Fleet with 10 New Vessels

The Government is in the process of adding 10 new vessels to its sea ambulance fleet in an effort to improve emergency medical services across the country, according to the Minister of Defence, Mohamed Ghassan Maumoon.

The announcement was made in Parliament last week, where the Minister responded to questions from lawmakers regarding the current capacity of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) to deliver sea ambulance services. He stated that the service remains a high priority for the MNDF and continues to respond to emergency requests from islands across the country.

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Despite this commitment, the Minister acknowledged that the MNDF currently faces limitations due to a shortage of vessels and technical issues such as breakdowns. He noted that these constraints have led to delays in the delivery of services in some regions. To address the issue, the Ministry of Defence is working to procure 10 additional speedboats this year, with the aim of strengthening the fleet and reducing service disruptions.

The sea ambulance programme operates around the clock and plays a critical role in transporting patients from remote islands to regional or capital-based hospitals. In parallel, the government launched the country’s first air ambulance service last year. Within its first year of operation, the air service has evacuated over 900 patients on more than 700 flights.