Lanka Hospitals in Sri Lanka has stopped providing medical services under the Maldives’ Aasandha scheme due to unpaid bills, leaving many Maldivians seeking treatment stranded. The halt began on April 1, 2025, with patients visiting the hospital that day unable to access their insurance coverage. A source close to the situation confirmed that the hospital suspended services because Aasandha owes millions of Rufiyaa.
Aasandha Managing Director Aminath Zeeniya stated she hadn’t received any official notice regarding the suspension and was unaware of the reasons behind it. This unexpected change has raised concerns among Maldivians, as Sri Lanka is a popular medical destination for the country’s citizens, with a large Maldivian community living there.
Since President Mohamed Muizzu took office in November 2023, Aasandha has faced mounting criticism. Sources say a special desk was set up to prioritize Aasandha services for individuals selected by ruling party lawmakers. Meanwhile, many patients have complained that essential medications for conditions like cancer, diabetes, and allergies—once covered by Aasandha—are no longer available.
Additionally, reports suggest that despite plans announced nearly two months ago, no patients have been sent to Thailand or the UAE for treatment under the expanded Aasandha scheme. On December 15, 2024, the government signed agreements with leading hospitals in Bangkok, Thailand, and Dubai, UAE. However, according to an anonymous source, “Requests poured in right after the announcement, but not one person has gone.”
The source also questioned the seriousness of these agreements, suggesting that the government may not be fully committed to sending patients abroad. “Thailand and UAE hospitals won’t tolerate delays in payment like those in India and Sri Lanka, where Aasandha already owes big sums,” they explained.
In January 2024, following his trip to China, President Muizzu vowed to reduce reliance on India for healthcare and expand Aasandha’s reach to countries like the UAE and Thailand. However, with Lanka Hospitals now halting services and no progress on sending patients to new destinations, many Maldivians are left waiting for answers, facing increasing uncertainty about the future of their healthcare coverage.
