Health Minister Abdulla Nazim has said the government is in the final stages of preparing a bill to legalise organ transplants in the Maldives, including kidney transplants, following extensive consultations with both local and international experts.
Speaking on an SSTV programme last night, Minister Nazim confirmed that the first draft of the organ transplant legislation has been completed under the guidance of foreign experts and Maldivian health professionals.
However, further consultations are underway with relevant stakeholders before the bill is submitted to the People’s Majlis.
"The law has now been formulated and the first draft prepared under the guidance and advice of international experts and Maldivian health professionals. We are now consulting with other parties that need to be consulted. Once the consultations are complete, we will send the law to the People’s Majlis," said Nazim.
He emphasised that passing this law is a crucial step towards advancing the country’s healthcare system. Once enacted, it will establish the legal framework required to begin offering organ transplant services within the Maldives.
Nazim also noted that operating theatres in Maldivian hospitals would need to be upgraded to meet the standards necessary for such procedures.
However, he did not provide a timeline for when the draft would be submitted to parliament or when transplant services might begin.
At present, some private hospitals in the Maldives have already developed the facilities needed to carry out kidney transplants but have not been authorised to proceed. Authorities have maintained that such operations cannot begin until a specific legal framework is in place.
