News Desk
MALÉ — Pharmacy bills continue to account for the lion’s share of expenditures under the Aasandha national health insurance scheme, consuming more than 60 percent of the total pharmacy and medical outlays last year, according to Aasandha Company Managing Director Aminath Zeeniya.
Speaking on PSM News, Zeeniya highlighted that retail pharmacies represent the highest operational cost for the state-funded scheme, followed by private clinics and hospitals. Significant funds are also directed toward overseas medical facilities partnered with the healthcare provider.
“Payouts are directed exclusively to the private sector, as disbursements are not made to government sector entities,” Zeeniya noted, detailing the financial mechanics of the state scheme.
To accommodate specialized treatments abroad, Aasandha maintains active agreements with approximately 57 hospitals across India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates. India hosts the highest concentration of partner facilities under the network. Zeeniya emphasized that partner hospitals are vetted for advanced, multi-specialty capabilities, with agreements structured around quality benchmarks, affordability, and fixed package pricing.
State allocations for Aasandha schemes stand at 2.02 billion rufiyaa for the year. By July 16, state expenditure on various Aasandha programs reached 1.18 billion rufiyaa, marking a 10.2 percent increase compared to the 1.07 billion rufiyaa spent during the corresponding period last year.
Conversely, state spending on broader medical welfare saw a sharp decline over the same timeframe. Outlays dropped 30.9 percent to 127.9 million rufiyaa by mid-July, down from 185.3 million rufiyaa last year, out of a total annual medical welfare budget of 409 million rufiyaa.
