An amendment has been made to the Maldivian Civil Service Regulation to provide a 30-day special leave for employees caring for a family member with a chronic illness.

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) gazetted the 13th amendment to the "Maldivian Civil Service Regulation 2014" yesterday, which states that the leave given when a family member is receiving treatment for a chronic illness is called "Special Leave for Health Needs."

According to the amendment, an employee is eligible for this leave if their mother, father, spouse, child, full sibling, half-sibling, or a person legally under their care is receiving treatment for a chronic illness.

The regulation states that this leave should be given with basic salary for 30 days per year.

For granting the "Special Leave for Health Needs," the amendment specifies that a medical certificate from a health professional registered with the Ministry of Health or a registered health center in the country where the certificate was issued must be submitted. This certificate should state that the family member is suffering from a terminal illness or chronic condition, and should specify the nature of the illness and the expected duration of treatment.