STO to bring 20 additional ambulances for the islands

Ambulance in Malé | Photo: Sun

Malé, Maldives – Ministry of Health has stated that 20 additional ambulances allocated for the islands will arrive in the Maldives this month.

This shipment is part of the ambulances procured by the State Trading Organization (STO) in connection to the MOU signed by STO and the Ministry of Health in June 2021 to bring 96 ambulances for the islands within 180 days.

20 of the 96 ambulances were brought to Maldives and shipped to respective islands on 19 October 2021.

There have been multiple instances of emergency care related deaths recorded in the Maldives this year, including the death of a 10 year old after ambulance dispatch delay of more than 2 hours 25 minutes in the capital city and the death of a baby in GDh. Thinadhoo following an alleged 1 hour 30 minute delay in arrival of an ambulance.

While Minister Naseem has given multiple dates for the arrival of the ambulances, the government of Maldives state that 60 ambulances will arrive in the country by the end of 2021. The government presently aims to distribute the 60 ambulances within this year.