Malé, Maldives – Aasandha Company Ltd has revealed that they were able to save MVR 12 million by controlling the price of just one drug in Maldives.
Aasandha Company had stated that after many discussions, a company with exclusive rights for import of medicine, had controlled the price of just one type of medicine starting from last year by which the company had saved MVR 12 million.
Aasandha Company also stated that the difficulty in controlling the cost of medicine is a result of some medicines being imported from specific companies only which have the exclusive rights for import and distribution of those drugs.
Aasandha added that the ceiling price for medicine has not been fixed by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) and that this results in pharmacies having different prices for same types of medicines. Aasandha also stated that if the medicines were released through the company, that the price of medicines in the country can be controlled.
Aasandha also stated that it is difficult to control the price as some local companies that have exclusive rights in importing and distribution of certain medicines in Maldives. Aasandha further stated that meetings were being held with these companies to decrease the cost of medicine.
To manage the price of medicines being sold in Maldives, Aasandha Company had launched ‘Vinavi’ mobile application through which users can check the exact price of the medicine and the services made under the Aasandha scheme.
Commonly known as ‘Aasandha’, Husnuvaa Aasandha is a universal health scheme introduced by the Government of Maldives in February 2014, with the aim of promoting affordable and accessible health care for all Maldivian nationals. Husnuvaa Aasandha – “healthcare for all without a ceiling protection limit” – extends the coverage of the previous national health insurance scheme “Aasandha” and removed the annual cap of MVR 100,000 per person per year of the previous scheme.
Every Maldivian with a valid National Identification Card have access to unlimited health care for all medical services prescribed and recommended by medical doctors, without paying any fee. The scheme is fully financed by the Government, and implemented and managed through Aasandha Company Limited.
