Health Minister: All islands will have ambulances in June

Health Minister Ahmed Naseem states all residential islands in Maldives will have ambulances before the end of June.

Naseem, who attended the Parliament on Wednesday morning, was questioned by Makunudhoo MP Mohamed Raee regarding government’s priority when it comes to the distribution of ambulances among islands.

The question by Raee was followed by questions from multiple parliamentarians asking Naseem when their constituents may expect to have ambulances in their islands.

Naseem said last February that State Trading Organization (STO) has been contracted to procure ambulances, and that 96 ambulances will be brought in by April, which will be sent to all residential islands.

Naseem said on Wednesday that the government expects the first ambulance to arrive within April, and provided assurance that enough ambulances will be brought in to equip all islands without a hitch.

The procurement of ambulances is co-financed through Japanese aid and the state budget. The government has announced plans to bring in additional ambulances through a new program – the details of which have not been disclosed.

Naseem’s statement that all islands will have ambulances by the end of June comes after the government declared they had enough ambulances for all islands back in October 2019.

Naseem said on Tuesday that the actions of ambulance drivers sometime lead to ambulances breaking down more quickly. And that drivers therefore require training.