Six children with thalassaemia are set to travel to India for bone marrow transplants with financial assistance from the Zakat Fund, forming the first group of patients to receive the treatment abroad this year.

A further four children are expected to travel once the remaining administrative procedures are completed, bringing the total number of patients approved for overseas treatment in 2026 to 10.

A special ceremony was held to mark the departure of the first group, attended by Minister of Health, Family and Welfare Geela Ali, Director General of Maldives Zakat House Sheikh Imthithou Abbasa, Chief Executive Officer of Malé City Group of Hospitals Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem, senior officials from the relevant institutions and the families of the children.

The Health Minister and the CEO of Malé City Group of Hospitals addressed the ceremony, while the Director General of Maldives Zakat House shared information on the financial assistance provided through the Zakat Fund.

Last month, Maldives Zakat House transferred MVR 2.5 million from the Zakat Fund to the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) to cover the cost of bone marrow transplants for eligible children with thalassaemia.

The assistance is being provided under a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Islamic Affairs and the Ministry of Health on 21 February 2024. The Zakat Fund had also supported bone marrow transplants on several occasions before the agreement, beginning in 2014.

Bone marrow transplantation is the only curative treatment currently available for thalassaemia, an inherited blood disorder that otherwise requires lifelong blood transfusions and medical care.

The procedure replaces diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells from a compatible donor, allowing the body to produce healthy blood cells. A successful transplant can end the need for regular transfusions, improve the patient’s quality of life and reduce long-term complications caused by the condition.

Information shared at the ceremony showed that all 10 children had completed the HLA donor-matching process and received approval to travel abroad for treatment in 2026.

The first six children are now preparing to travel, while final arrangements are underway to send the remaining four to Aasandha-empanelled hospitals in India.

Since 2024, the Zakat Fund has directly spent more than MVR 23 million to support bone marrow transplants for eligible children receiving treatment overseas.