The national health insurance provider, Aasandha Company Limited, has revealed over 700 people were sent abroad last year for cancer treatment.
As per the statistics publicised by Aasandha, 762 people sought cancer treatment abroad through Aasandha last year, including 454 women and 308 men. Thyroid cancer was the most prominent type of cancer to which treatment was sought from abroad last year, with 104 people seeking treatment for this type of cancer through Aasandha last year.
Furthermore, Aasandha revealed there were 29,530 transactions of cancer treatment made last year through the national health insurance scheme. A total of USD7.6 million was spent on cancer treatment through Aasandha last year, up from USD4.6 million in 2020.
Cancer is becoming increasingly prominent among the Maldivian population, with many doctors attributing this rise to the lifestyle of locals. Ministry of Health is undertaking efforts to conduct a research to identify the reasons for the rise in cancer cases in the country.