President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has directed relevant authorities to enforce existing laws for controlling the prices of medicines, while the Health Ministry has announced a new initiative to address unlicensed healthcare providers.
The President’s recent mandate seeks to address concerns over high-profit margins on prescription medications, which have reportedly ranged from 200% to 2000% above cost. The directive calls for the implementation of regulations that limit the maximum profit margin on medicines to 100%. The goal is to reduce the cost of medications for consumers and decrease expenditures related to the State health insurance program, Aasandha. The President indicated that savings from reduced medication costs could be redirected to strengthen healthcare services. Further details on the new price control measures are expected to be provided soon.
This move follows previous attempts by the Health Ministry to establish maximum retail prices (MRP) on medicines. Those efforts had been delayed due to opposition from pharmacy companies. Initial plans aimed to regulate the prices of 357 essential medicines, with potential savings estimated at MVR 205 million.
Meanwhile, the Health Ministry has issued a stern warning to unregistered and unlicensed healthcare providers, announcing plans to pursue legal action against those operating outside regulatory frameworks.
The Ministry’s statement underscores that all healthcare services in the Maldives must adhere to registration and licensing requirements as stipulated by the healthcare service centre registration regulations. The Ministry has observed that some alternative medical services continue to operate without proper registration.
“It is an offense under Article 20 of the Health Services Act to provide any health service without appropriate registration and licensing,” the Ministry stated. “We will take legal action against those in violation of these regulations.”
Among those currently under scrutiny is Fazeela Usman, known for her alternative medicine services at Faxy’s Hijama. The Health Ministry has given Fazeela a specified timeframe to complete all necessary registration processes. Failure to comply could result in legal repercussions.
