A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
Bank of Maldives (BML) has approved loans for 441 applicants under the bank’s Covid-19 Recovery Scheme. According to statistics from the Ministry of Finance, MVR 585.9 million and a total of USD 8 million had been disbursed through 419 loans issued on behalf of BML as of 14th January 2021. The statistics also reveal that […]
The Ministry of Tourism has endorsed the EIFEC Health Emergency Risk Compliance Management System (HER-CMS) Standards Series, stating that the implementation of these standards is an effective tool against the COVID-19 virus. The Ministry further stated that this European certification would prove beneficial for the economy of the Maldives. The new Emergency International Standards series […]
The government has opened registration for COVID-19 vaccine starting today. The registration can be submitted through an online portal. A press conference was held by Health Emergency Operation Center (HEOC) last night, and spokesperson Dr Nazla Rafeeq states the first registration phase is open for healthcare and social care workers. Dr Nazla clarified that the […]
An audit conducted on Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has uncovered irregularities in spending on building and procuring equipment for the respiratory department of the main state hospital. The audit report of IGMH unveiled by the Auditor General’s Office in 2018 reveals that the project was appointed to Sifainge Welfare Company (SIWEC) and developed within […]
The Indian High Commission to the Maldives has revealed that over 3000 visas have been issued to Maldivians seeking medical treatment in India. In a tweet yesterday, the Indian High Commission stated that since the COVID-19 pandemic began taking hold in the region, over 3000 Maldivian patients have been issued medical visas to travel to […]
When COVID-19 pandemic had reached the Maldives, it is safe to say, as a collective nation, we were not adequately prepared for it. We had not accounted for enough ventilators and trained health care professionals who had experience dealing with this new virus. The novel coronavirus swept up a storm in the tiny nation when […]
The amount spent on allowances for frontline workers, in the midst of battling the Covid-19 pandemic, has surpassed MVR 90 million. According to statistics released by the Finance Ministry, as of 5th January 2021, about MVR 90.32 million has been disbursed to 10,180 frontline workers as allowance. While the allowance is meant to be given […]
The World Health Organization country office for the Maldives (WHO), with financial support worth EUR 1 million from the European Union (EU), will help improve emergency response capacities in the Maldives to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. The support will focus on improving the management of COVID-19 cases. This will be done through the provision […]
Certain changes have been made to executive positions within state hospital, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). IGMH announced that Dr Yoosuf Shan, the Senior Consultant in Orthopedics, has been appointed to replace Dr Ali Nazeem as the Director of Medical Services, following the completion of his tenure. Dr Shan assumed his responsibilities as the new […]