Expanding Local Workforce in Healthcare is a Key Government Priority: Minister 

Expanding the number of Maldivian professionals working in the healthcare sector is a key priority of the government, Minister for Health, Family and Social Welfare Geela Ali has said.

Responding to a question from Mid-Machchangolhi MP Ahmed Zameer during today’s parliamentary sitting, Geela said the government’s aspiration is to develop a healthcare system in which Maldivian professionals make up the majority of the workforce.

She noted that the Maldives continues to rely significantly on expatriate healthcare professionals, with approximately 60 percent of doctors currently working in the country being foreign nationals.

According to figures presented by the Minister, the country’s healthcare workforce consisted of more than 12,000 employees in 2025. More than 7,000 were working across the atolls, while over 5,000 were based in the Greater Malé Region. Of the total workforce, more than 3,400 were expatriate employees.

Geela said reducing reliance on expatriate professionals is important not only for developing national human resources but also for ensuring continuity of healthcare services across the country.

She explained that when an expatriate doctor leaves the Maldivian healthcare system, replacing the individual involves lengthy administrative and recruitment processes. Such turnover can create difficulties in maintaining services, particularly in island communities where healthcare facilities may have limited numbers of specialised professionals.

Against this backdrop, Geela said the government is placing greater emphasis on developing Maldivian healthcare professionals through education and specialised training.

She highlighted ongoing programmes being conducted through the Maldives National University (MNU) across a range of health-related disciplines and encouraged more Maldivian students to pursue careers in healthcare.

Geela urged Maldivian youth to take advantage of opportunities to study in healthcare-related fields, stressing that increasing local participation would help build a more sustainable national healthcare system.

She said strengthening the skills and capacity of Maldivian healthcare workers would remain an important component of the government’s broader efforts to improve healthcare services and ensure that qualified professionals are available to serve communities throughout the country.