Moosa Anwar awarded Highest Honour for Service to Health Sector

Veteran health professional Moosa Anwar has been awarded the Highest Honour for Service to the Maldives Health Sector Medal in recognition of his decades long contribution to the country’s healthcare system.

The medal was presented by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu during the official Republic Day ceremony held this morning at the Maldives Centre for Social Education.

Originally from Addu City Meedhoo, Moosa Anwar began his career as an interpreter at the Regional Medical Centre in Gan during the British protectorate. Known for his proficiency in English, he started working at the age of 16 and later received the AOC Commendation from the Royal Air Force Gan in 1975 for his dedicated service.

After the British left Gan, he joined the public service in 1977 at the request of then-President Ibrahim Nasir, serving as a Practical Nurse Instructor at the Allied Health Services Training Centre and working as a dentist at the Central Hospital.

In 1979, he pursued further education in the United Kingdom, returning to the Maldives to serve as a tutor and later as Assistant Director and Deputy Director of the Allied Health Services Training Centre.

He went on to hold key roles at the Ministry of Health, contributing to the establishment of regional hospitals across the atolls and advancing thalassaemia treatment services through the creation of the National Thalassaemia Centre.

Moosa Anwar also provided technical expertise to the Drug Rehabilitation Centre and the Home for People with Special Needs in Kaafu atoll Guraidhoo, and played a significant part in transitioning healthcare services from Central Hospital to IGMH.

His final posting was at the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA), where he helped strengthen and expand its operations.

With a career spanning over 40 years-including more than 30 years in public service, Moosa Anwar retired on 23 July 2009.