President Mohamed Muizzu has said that delays in providing treatment for drug addiction are due to the National Drug Agency (NDA) not being sufficiently developed.
Speaking on the President’s Office program "The Pulse," Muizzu noted that the NDA’s capacity has not yet reached his desired standards. He emphasized that efforts are currently underway to strengthen the agency and resolve internal issues.
"The National Drug Agency has not yet reached the level of capacity I envision. We are working to further strengthen it. There are numerous issues within the NDA that need to be addressed," he said.
Muizzu explained that the government’s policy for enhancing the NDA’s capacity involves improving the quality of treatment, providing staff training, and increasing the workforce.
"We are adopting a fresh approach to reform the NDA. God willing, the government’s policy is to improve the quality of care provided, enhance the capacity of the staff through training, increase personnel, and expand the agency's overall capacity in every aspect," he added.
Highlighting that the drug crisis can only be resolved by addressing various interconnected issues alongside the NDA's reform, Muizzu noted that these efforts would also help reduce the agency’s treatment waiting list.
Muizzu remarked that the drug problem in the Maldives has been escalating for over 30 years. However, he claimed that the government's efforts to tackle the issue are now yielding tangible results.
Under the current administration, authorities have seized 1,313 kilograms of narcotics and arrested 2,588 individuals in connection with drug-related offenses, of whom 420 have been referred to rehabilitation.
