State optical service costs MVR 3 million annually, minister says

Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has said the government’s prescription glass service will cost approximately MVR 3 million annually.

The government has opened optical shops at the main government hospitals — Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and Hulhumale Hospital.

During Monday’s parliamentary sitting, Galolhu North MP Mohamed Ibrahim of the MDP asked the minister about the purpose and cost of the initiative, questioning why the government had entered the eyewear business instead of regulating private opticians.

In a written reply, Minister Nazim said the initiative was not a commercial activity but a public service introduced under the Aasandha health insurance scheme.

According to the minister, the government now provides MVR 2,000 every two years for every Maldivian citizen to obtain prescription glasses through Aasandha. Previously, the allowance was MVR 1,000 every two years.

“Accessing eyeglass services from private opticians has been a financial burden on the public. The aim of the optical service at IGMH is to provide glasses to the people at no additional cost,” the minister said.

Nazim said MVR 2 million was spent on constructing the eyeglass outlet at IGMH.

The minister added that the government plans to expand the optical services to regional hospitals across the Maldives.

The eyewear outlet at IGMH, which opened in July, offers prescription glasses, lens-making services, and eyesight testing. It also provides early diagnosis of conditions such as glaucoma.