Aasandha scheme uses up 30% of budget allocation in first two months of fiscal year

The national health insurance scheme, Aasandha, has exhausted 30 percent of the Maldivian government's allocation for the current fiscal year. According to the data released by the Finance Ministry, RF 334 million was spent on Aasandha between January 1 and March 2. RF 1.045 billion was allocated for Aasandha for the current fiscal year, and 31 percent of the budget has already been used. The amount spent during the same period this year has increased by 52 percent as compared to the previous year, where RF 163 million was spent during the same period.

Economists have stated that a significant portion of the expenditure on Aasandha goes to private hospital clinics and pharmacies. The scheme is in need of a revamp, and the state must consider alternatives to reduce its spending on healthcare. Despite the scheme's good intentions, its heavy spending is unnecessary, according to economists.

Last year, in June, the Aasandha budget was entirely depleted. Even in the previous year, it was spent twice the allocated budget for Aasandha at the end of the year. The scheme's increase in spending has caused some concern among healthcare analysts, who believe that there is a need to assess the scheme's efficacy and whether it provides enough value for the money.