Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has stated that work is underway to introduce a dedicated website and mobile application to enable online access to a national registry of blood donors.

The Minister made the remarks in a written response to a query submitted by North Galolhu Member of Parliament Mohamed Ibrahim regarding blood transfusion services.

In his response, the Minister noted that the initiative is part of a key pledge by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu to establish a comprehensive system for the treatment of blood-related diseases. He stated that a national blood service system has now been established, including the development of blood banks across four regions of the Maldives.

He further noted that laboratory technologists have been recruited to support transfusion services, and that transfusion centres have been established in 108 islands. These centres are designed to ensure easier access to blood transfusion services both within islands and across nearby health facilities.

The Minister emphasised that strengthening and integrating blood transfusion services under a unified system, aligned with international standards, remains a key priority. With technical assistance from the World Health Organization, a National Blood Standard has now been developed and finalised.

He added that the work represents a major effort carried out over the past two years with the support of both international experts and local stakeholders. A dedicated module has also been developed within the DHIS2 system to enable real-time access to key data from transfusion centres.

The Minister stated that a national registry for thalassaemia patients has been established under the Thalassaemia Prevention Act, with registration and data management commencing in January 2026.

He further revealed that efforts are ongoing to transition the existing manual blood donor registry to a digital system. A donor registry and recruitment portal, along with a dedicated application, are expected to be launched by October 2026.

The planned digital platform aims to create a centralised database of voluntary blood donors, helping to address challenges in sourcing blood and improving response times through the use of information technology.