Parliament rejects pension access for chronic illness patients

Parliament on Tuesday voted against an amendment to the Pension Act that sought to allow individuals suffering from chronic illnesses to access their retirement savings before reaching pensionable age.

The amendment was proposed by Galolhu North MP Mohamed Ibrahim of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

Under the current law, funds deposited in a retirement savings account can only be withdrawn upon reaching the age of pension. The proposed amendment sought to permit early access to these funds for medical treatment in cases of permanent or chronic illness.

The amendment was rejected with 52 votes against and five votes in favour, out of the 57 members present.

According to the proposed bill, withdrawals would have been permitted only if the applicant provided medical certification from an agency registered with the Maldives Medical Council or from a specialist doctor. The document confirming the illness would then be subject to verification by a panel of medical specialists formed under the Act.

The bill also outlined that eligible individuals must have a balance in their retirement savings account, and that the entire amount could be released for medical treatment if necessary.

If passed, the Pension Office would have been required to establish a panel of three medical specialists within three months of the amendment’s enforcement. The panel would be composed of doctors registered with the Maldives Medical Council.