Public Frustration Grows as Essential Medicines Remain Unavailable Despite Gov’t Deadline

Public concern continues to mount over the ongoing unavailability of essential medications in pharmacies, despite the government’s deadline to resolve the issue having passed more than a week ago.

In February, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu pledged that all medications listed on the Maldives Food and Drug Authority’s (MFDA) essential medicine list would be available in State Trade Organization (STO) pharmacies from 15 March. This was to be followed by availability of all medications on the MFDA’s approved medicine list from 15 April.

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However, many residents have reported that essential medicines remain inaccessible across pharmacies in Malé and the atolls. Social media has seen a surge of public complaints, with users expressing frustration over the lack of access to prescribed treatments.

On social media, one resident shared that they had visited over ten pharmacies in Malé without being able to purchase any of their prescribed medications. Others reported partial fulfilment of prescriptions, with common drugs such as Penadin and Allegra out of stock. Concerns have also been raised over the affordability of available alternatives, with some calling for government intervention to reduce medicine costs.

Despite growing public pressure, the STO and the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) have not provided any official comment on the matter.

On 10 April, Health Minister Abdulla Nazim stated that the government’s efforts to address the issue were beginning to yield results. He outlined a series of initiatives, including increasing STO’s medicine stock, strengthening governance through the development of standard operating procedures, reforming the Aasandha prescription portal, and enhancing training for pharmacists and healthcare professionals. Improvements to the MFDA’s systems were also part of the reform plan.

The government has also introduced price controls on 250 medicines issued under Aasandha, a scheme which continues to be the largest expense under the state’s health insurance programme. Authorities have accused private businesses of previously selling these medications at inflated prices.

Despite the reforms, government figures show that expenditure on Aasandha has increased. By mid-April, MVR 665.9 million had been spent on the scheme this year – a rise of MVR 179 million compared to the same period last year.

While the government remains optimistic that ongoing measures will offer a permanent solution, the continuing shortage of essential medicines has left many in the public questioning the effectiveness of the response.