The state budget spent MVR 628.1 million on the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha, in the first three months of the year.
This year's budget allocated MVR 1 billion for Aaasandha. According to the Finance Ministry, 60 percent of the Aasandha budget has already been utilized in the first three months of the year.
While more than 50 percent of the allocated budget has already been utilized, the entire budget allocated for 2022 was exhausted in less than half a year. The budget allocated for Aasandha last year was MVR 730.9 million. The government later proposed a supplementary budget to increase the Aasandha budget by MVR 906.7 million. Therefore, the total budget allocated for Aasandha last year was MVR 1.6 billion. However, even with the supplementation, Aasandha's expenditure stood at MVR 1.8 million at the end of the year.
The World Bank has recommended cutting healthcare spending and subsidies to manage the country's finances better.
