The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Welfare Dr. Aishath Rameela has stated that the government is working to provide affordable and easy access to medicines and vaccines for household animals. The Minister made the remarks while speaking on a program of PSM News.
Minister Rameela stated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare is working to expand veterinary services. She disclosed that work is underway to bring in specialist doctors and nurses to establish veterinary clinics. She noted that even though private veterinary services are already available in Maldives, there is no strong system to identify diseases and provide proper treatment to animals. She added that the necessary medical treatment for pets is not available in Maldives.
The Minister went onto say that the lack of equipment to conduct special health tests on imported animals is also an obstacle to ensuring the health and safety of animals. She said that this is an area that needs further development to ensure the safety of animals. She noted that the ministry is working to develop this sector. As such, Minister Rameela noted that discussions are underway with relevant agencies like the State Trading Organization (STO) and the Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) to provide safe and affordable medicines and treatment equipment to animals
Additionally, Minister Rameela disclosed that an animal law has been drafted and submitted to the Attorney General’s Office, as part of the Ministry’s efforts to strengthen and regulate matters relating to imported and domesticated animals. She also noted that the Ministry is conducting inspections of pet shops.