State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation Limited (SPMSCL) has started importing medicine, and is now in the process of sending it to some islands.
Speaking on State TV PSM's "Raajje Miadhu" program on Monday, Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim confirmed that the SPMSCL has now started operations.
The company has now begun importing some of the medicines needed in the country, and transporting it to several islands, he said.
Previously, medication needed in the country was imported through the State Trading Organization (STO). However, as STO has several areas of business, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu established the SPMSCL solely dedicated to medical supply in September last year.
With this change, STO pharmacies across the atolls have been transferred under the new company.
Nazim said that the start of SPMSCL's operations has already brought noticeable improvements in supply, and he believes the results will be even better once the company is operating at full speed.
The minister noted that with medicines being essential goods, even neighbouring countries have dedicated companies to manage its supply. He quoted Sri Lanka as an example.
In Maldives, many varieties of medicine are controlled by private companies, which sometimes leads to shortages.
