On March 20, 2023, the Pacific Augmentation Team from U.S. Mission Maldives, in coordination with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), provided the Maldivian Ministry of Health (MoH) with an Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA) medical donation that included critical care equipment. Since July 2020, the joint effort has coordinated with the MoH to both aid in the COVID-19 medical response as well as to strengthen the overall capacity of the country’s health sector. Furthermore, USAID, in partnership with Maldives National University, has worked the past week to help the University adapt Emergency Care Management training modules that prepare different cadres of health professionals in Maldives to train other medical practitioners. The partnership with Maldives National University resulted in the certification of eight doctors and nine nurses who will go on to train a further 200 health care professionals on emergency patient intake, triage, infection control, basic life support, as well as advanced life support. These two programs will increase Maldives’ stock of critical care equipment and the number of doctors and nurses who can completely assess, triage, and manage patients requiring emergency care. This will inevitably save lives and provide better patient outcomes across Maldives. Additionally, these programs emphasize the U.S. commitment to ensuring that the Maldivian health sector is best prepared for crisis and contingency as well as the continued commitment to strengthen the bilateral diplomatic relationship.
