Aasandha rules will be amended to fulfil a campaign pledge to cover medical checkups, bone marrow transplants and fertility treatments including IVF, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has said.
Expanding Aasandha coverage as pledged during the campaign to include fertility treatments such as IVF was deliberated and decided during Tuesday's cabinet meeting, President Muizzu said.
"We will amend and gazette the Aasandha scheme's regulations to include that [fertility treatments including IVF]. And procedures will be formulated to provide IVF, IUI and announced," the President said.
Arrangements will also be made for private hospitals to provide the treatments, after which hospitals with Aasandha coverage will be determined, he said.
Briefing the press after yesterday's cabinet meeting, the President said a fertility care center will be established in the Maldives with a dedicated fund.
"A center specializing in fertility care will be established. And a special fund for that, an MVR 30 million fund will be set up through the state budget," he said.
Medical checkups through Aasandha
The government has also decided to include medical checkups as a service covered by Aasandha, which is to be done by introducing various packages for different age groups, the President said.
"If a doctor advises, various profiles will be done through Aasandha twice a year based on that advice," he said.
Aside from government hospitals and health centers, arrangements will be made to provide the service through private hospitals and centers registered with the Aasandha scheme, he said.
"Curing the disease before you catch it is one of our policies. That will be a big priority," he said.
Covering payments through Aasandha for children in need of bone marrow transplants who transfer to better hospitals was also a pledge made during the presidential election campaign.
After deliberations yesterday, the President said the cabinet decided to grade hospitals enrolled in the Aasandha scheme. Extra payments incurred due to grading differences from changing hospitals at the wishes of the patient would be covered through Aasandha.
On the changes related to Aasandha, a journalist asked for the solution to expenses made through the scheme for political purposes. In response, the President said he was informed of it during the campaign and that checks and balances would be put in place.
"We will ensure that Aasandha is used directly through a check and balance mechanism," he said.
