Eyewear shop to open at Addu Equatorial Hospital

An eyewear shop is set to open at Addu Equatorial Hospital, expanding access to prescription glasses in the southernmost region of Maldives.

A hospital official said today that many patients face difficulties obtaining prescription glasses even after completing eye examinations. To address this gap, the eyewear shop is expected to begin operations next Friday or Saturday.

The shop will be operated in collaboration with Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), which previously launched the government’s first eyewear shop. Similar services have since been introduced at Hulhumale’ Hospital.

While government hospitals provide diagnosis and treatment for various eye conditions, they have not traditionally offered prescription eyewear services. As a result, patients have relied heavily on private providers, where the cost of prescription glasses is often high and paid entirely out of pocket.

The government has recently increased the Aasandha allowance for prescription glasses to MVR 2,000, a move aimed at easing the financial burden on patients.