One of the sectors most severely neglected when President Dr Mohamed Muizzu assumed office was the health sector.

At the time, health facilities across the nation lacked sufficient doctors and nurses due to years of limited recruitment. Despite repeated promises to upgrade regional hospitals to tertiary status, these institutions did not have the specialist doctors required to provide tertiary-level services.

Basic services were missing across the country. Many health centres had no laboratory facilities, and large numbers of atolls did not have dialysis services for patients with kidney disease.

Over the past two years, significant changes have been brought to the sector. More than 1,000 healthcare professionals have been recruited in what has been described as the largest hiring effort of its kind in the Maldives. These include doctors, nurses and a range of allied health professionals.

Development of health infrastructure is also taking place at an unprecedented pace. The Government is expanding health centres across multiple islands and developing new regional and atoll hospitals. Specialties required for tertiary services are being introduced in regional hospitals, and other essential facilities are nearing completion.

Several specialised services that were previously unavailable have now been launched. CT scan services have begun in Fuvahmulah City, MRI services have started in Raa Ungoofaaru, and dialysis services have been established in hospitals that did not offer them before. Work is also ongoing to station paediatricians and physiotherapists in many islands.

In next year’s budget, MVR 8.8 billion has been allocated for the health sector, which President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has described as the Administration’s highest priority. Of this amount, MVR 894 million is allocated for medical treatment, MVR 206.8 million for medical devices and MVR 53 million for therapeutic appliances and equipment. Outpatient services have been allocated MVR 2.03 billion.

Hospital services account for MVR 5.1 billion, while general services have been allocated MVR 4.4 billion. A further MVR 668 million has been designated for specialised hospital services.

Under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), MVR 917.7 million has been set aside for health sector projects in 2026. This is a substantial increase from the MVR 466.9 million allocated in 2025, marking a 96.6 per cent rise in health-related PSIP funding.