Shortage of escort officers main cause of delayed medical care for prisoners: HRCM

A shortage of escort officers at Maldives Correctional Service is the leading cause of delays in providing medical treatment to prisoners, according to statistics released by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM).

HRCM released figures on Wednesday night from its investigations into delays in healthcare for prisoners between 1 January 2024 and the end of July 2026.

The figures identify several recurring reasons for delays, with the lack of officers available to escort prisoners to medical appointments accounting for the largest share in each of the three periods covered.

According to HRCM, medical treatment was delayed for 32 prisoners in 2024 because escort officers were unavailable, accounting for 49.5 per cent of the cases investigated that year.

In 2025, 30 cases, or 46.9 per cent, were attributed to the same reason. By the end of July this year, 24 cases had been recorded because of a lack of escort officers, representing 63.2 per cent of the cases investigated during the period.

The figures indicate that the proportion of cases linked to escort officer shortages has increased this year.

The second most common reason for delayed treatment was difficulty securing appointments with specialist doctors. HRCM recorded 12 such cases in 2024, 13 in 2025 and six during the first seven months of 2026.

Administrative errors were another recurring factor. Five cases were recorded in 2024, rising to seven in 2025. Five cases had been recorded by the end of July this year.

HRCM also identified inadequate healthcare services at Maafushi Prison and insufficient accommodation in Malé for prisoners brought from Maafushi for medical appointments as factors contributing to delays.

In 2024, two cases were linked to the unavailability of required healthcare services in Maafushi. That number increased to eight in 2025.

Three cases in both 2024 and 2025 involved delays because suitable accommodation was unavailable in Malé for prisoners brought to the capital for medical treatment. One such case had been recorded by the end of July this year.

Other issues identified in 2024 included four cases in which requests for appointments were delayed, three cases in which medication recommended by doctors was not provided, two cases involving a lack of assistance from officers, and one case in which the required medical treatment was unavailable in the Maldives.

For the first seven months of 2026, HRCM also recorded one case involving a delay in obtaining medication and another in which there was confusion over the date scheduled for a medical appointment.

The statistics show that the shortage of escort officers has remained the most frequently identified reason for delays in prisoners receiving medical care since the beginning of 2024, while difficulties obtaining specialist appointments and administrative problems have also continued to affect access to treatment.