President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has assured the public that significant progress in resolving the country’s ongoing medicine shortage will be visible within the next two months, citing accelerated work by the newly established state pharmaceutical company.
Speaking on Nation Chat, the President said the State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation Limited, known as State Pharma, is undertaking multiple initiatives simultaneously to address the shortage. Among the priorities is ensuring that patients who depend on long-term medication have sustained and reliable access to their prescriptions.
“A very big change will come. The State Pharma company established for this purpose has already done a great deal of work. By the time we reach June and July, things will improve substantially,” the President said.
Establishment of State Pharma
The State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation Limited was incorporated in September of last year. The company was created to centralise the bulk procurement and importation of pharmaceuticals, medical consumables, and medical equipment, with the broader aim of easing the difficulties citizens have faced in accessing medicines.
Transition of STO Pharmacies
A key component of the reform involves transferring all pharmacies currently operated under the State Trading Organisation to State Pharma beginning in July. The transition is intended to consolidate the country’s public pharmaceutical retail network under a single dedicated entity.
The corporation’s first pharmacy has already been established at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, where arrangements are now in place to ensure the hospital receives a steady and uninterrupted supply of required medicines.
New Systems for Patients
Work is also under way to establish a real-time monitoring system that will allow authorities to track medicine stock levels across all pharmacies in the Maldives. Once pharmacies come under State Pharma, a mechanism will also be introduced to import medicines from abroad when specific prescriptions are unavailable locally. A dedicated hotline, 1505, has already been launched to support this service.
In addition, the government is developing the State Farmer Portal, an online platform that will allow residents anywhere in the country to request the medications they need.
