According to official records, in the first quarter of the fiscal year, Aasandha, the Maldives’ state health insurance scheme, disbursed MVR 838 million, a 4.8% increase compared to last year’s corresponding period.
Aasandha’s expenditures during the first three months of this year amounted to MVR 838 million and facilitated medical treatment abroad for 1,691 individuals; MVR 799 million was spent during the same timeframe in the previous year.
In the first quarter of 2024, a total of 276,439 individuals received assistance under the Aasandha scheme, compared to 273,434 recipients during the equivalent period in 2023.
Emergency medical evacuations between islands under the Aasandha scheme saw 1,599 incidents recorded during the first quarter of this year, while 1,691 patients received treatment overseas.
A notable trend over recent years indicates a substantial surge in Aasandha expenditure, with a 60% increase observed over the past five years. By the end of last year, spending under the scheme had risen by 40% compared to previous years.
MVR 1.9 billion has been allocated for Aasandha in the national budget for the current fiscal year.
However, concerns have been raised by the Ministry of Finance regarding escalating expenditure within the Aasandha framework, which could reach MVR 3.4 billion unless measures are implemented to contain costs. Last year saw the highest spending on Aasandha to date, surpassing budgetary projections by 20% over the past five years.
Under the Aasandha scheme, pharmaceuticals account for an average expenditure of MVR 500 million. International bodies such as the World Bank have voiced apprehension about the high prices of medicines in the Maldives.
