A resolution has been submitted to the Parliament calling to expand social health insurance to include fertility treatment. The resolution was moved by Galolhu South MP Mikaeel Ahmed Naseem in Monday's Parliament session.
The resolution stated that the Constitution, the National System of Social Health Insurance Act, and the Health Services Act guarantee the right of citizens to equal access to good quality basic health services. The law also emphasizes ensuring the fairness of the national system where risk is pooled and shared among different segments of the population in terms of social, economic, age, and health to the extent their economic status permits.
The resolution noted that infertility was becoming an increasing problem in the Maldives. It said the country's national social health insurance system is currently shaped in such a way that opportunities for infertility treatment are extremely limited.
The resolution also notes that there are various difficulties in obtaining some of the medicines needed by infertility patients. It said that some basic infertility medicines are not covered by the health insurance scheme, 'Aasandha', and that access to specialists for infertility is extremely difficult in the Maldives. It said there is no proper research or statistics on the issue in the Maldives.
The resolution also called for a proper national study to seek a solution to the issue. It further called for immediate short-term measures such as making some basic infertility drugs easily available in the Maldives, covering infertility treatment under Aasandha, and providing an economically appropriate overall solution to those who need infertility treatment.
Members debating the resolution acknowledged that the resolution was important and called for the government to find immediate solutions to the issue raised in the resolution.
