Maldivian changes policy to prioritise medical evacuations

The national airline's flight schedule will give priority to emergency airlifts, Transport and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Ameen said Friday.

The use of India-donated Dornier aircraft, which was earlier used for airlifting patients, has been discontinued since the arrival of this government, leading to difficulties in emergency airlifting and endangering the lives of patients.

In response to the criticisms, Minister Ameen said in an 'X' post on Saturday that from this day forward, Maldivian's policy has been changed to carry emergency patients first during scheduling.

“And once a hospital receives information about an emergency case, Maldivian's top priority will be to carry the person who needs to be carried in the emergency,” he said.

Speaking to reporters at the airport after completing his first visit to China, President Mohammed Muizzu said that from next month, patients will be carried on a Dash-8 aircraft of Maldives national airline Maldivian.

Referring to the President's remarks, Minister Ameen said one of the top priorities of the government is the introduction of air ambulance service.