Health Ministry Delegation Visits Pakistan to Strengthen Pharmaceutical and Nursing Collaboration
Maldives and Pakistan Discuss Pharmaceutical Cooperation | Photo: Ministry of Health
A senior delegation from the Ministry of Health has undertaken an official visit to Islamabad, Pakistan, engaging in high-level discussions with the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) as part of efforts to enhance pharmaceutical regulation and improve supply chain efficiency in the Maldives.
The Maldivian delegation, including State Ministers and senior officials from the Ministry of Health, visited Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services (@nhsrcofficial) and discussed areas of collaboration for the upcoming MoU with Pakistan’s health sector. pic.twitter.com/U2J1AJwWqj
— Ministry of Health (@MoHmv) June 20, 2025advertisement
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The discussions focused on four key areas: reinforcing bilateral regulatory cooperation, advancing quality assurance protocols for medicinal products, strengthening systems for pharmaceutical imports and exports, and exploring capacity-building opportunities within the Maldivian health sector.
As part of the official itinerary, the delegation also held discussions with representatives of the Pakistan Pharmaceutical Association. The meeting was aimed at fostering closer institutional ties and promoting regulatory alignment between the two countries.
In addition, the delegation met with senior officials from Pakistan’s Nursing and Midwifery Council and relevant academic institutions. These engagements centred on enhancing nursing competencies and developing structured training programmes to build the professional capacity of the Maldivian nursing workforce.
The visit formed part of the Ministry of Health’s wider initiative to address persistent medicine shortages in the country. Officials highlighted a recent increase in pharmaceutical imports and outlined plans to streamline access to essential medicines nationwide.
Among the measures introduced by the administration of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu is the establishment of a continuous medicine supply system. This initiative aims to ensure the consistent availability of medicines and reduce public complaints. Under the plan, all medications required by inpatients will be provided directly through hospital systems, removing the need for patients to obtain their treatments independently.
The Ministry of Health has stated that the new supply model is expected to be fully operational across all regional and tertiary hospitals by the end of the year, with phased implementation continuing at additional healthcare facilities.
