Health Ministry is working with stakeholders to formulate guidelines to start transportation of medicine to remote islands of the country via drone. The process is expected to conclude within this year and the first atoll to receive this service will be Thaa.
Authorities are currently in the process of formulating guidelines concerning the delivery of medicines to the islands within the Maldives, and implementation will begin this year, starting from Thaa Atoll, revealed Health Ministry.
Speaking to 'Mihaaru News, Health Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel previously said that using drones for transportation of medicine to local islands was decided to commence within six months and that the ministry was discussing the matter with Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), Police and Maldives' Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Providing an update on this, Health Ministry's Communication Director Shaufa Hussain detailed that the guidelines are now being implemented in collaboration with State Trading Organisation (STO), a state owned enterprise which owns one of the largest pharmacy chains in the country.
She went on to say that once the guidelines are completed, the drone delivery process is expected to commence this year, starting from Thaa Atoll, which is located in central Maldives.
According to previous statements by Health Minister Khaleel, the government currently incurs significant expenses just to transport medicines worth MVR 10 (USD 0.65) to some islands.
"[We're] exploring ways to change the system to send medicine [to islands] in an affordable, easy and instant manner. We will hopefully commence drone services in the near future. We're working to commence this within the first six months of the upcoming year," Minister Khaleel said in his interview to Mihaaru during December 2023.
Using drones for medical supply transportation is something the previous administration of Maldives attempted to implement as well. The government, at the time considered working with STO to transport laboratory equipment to the islands and even did a test run in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, located in south of Maldives.
Transportation of medicine via drones is currently implemented in other countries as well, especially in remote areas.
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