Maldives has signed an agreement with a Sri Lankan hospital to provide medical internship placements for Maldivian students.

The MoU was signed at a ceremony at the Ministry of Health by State Minister Khadheeja Abdul Samad and Suwasevana Hospital Director Bandula Egodage.

Health Minister Geela Ali said the agreement would help provide the training and practical experience needed by doctors entering the health sector.

She said the partnership would expand opportunities for Maldivian medical graduates to receive specialized clinical training and practical experience while strengthening their professional competencies.

Under the agreement, Suvasevana Hospital will provide clinical internship placements for 20 Maldivian students each year.

Maldivian students have previously completed medical internships in Sri Lanka, but this is the first formal agreement to guarantee internship placements for Maldivian students at a Sri Lankan hospital, according to the ministry.

In addition to internships at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and Hulhumale' Hospital, Maldivian medical students also travel to Bangladesh to complete their internships.