Managing Director of State Trading Organisation (STO) Hussain Amru has revealed that there are over 8,000 people dependent on long-term medication in the Southern Atolls.

Amru made the statement in response to a question posed by a councilman during a meeting with the SOEs, Council, and WDC members during the third edition of the Viavathi Raajje conference in Laamu Atoll Gan.

Amru noted that one of the biggest challenges in providing an endless supply of medication to the islands is not knowing the exact number of people dependent on those medications in said islands. Since the data is unavailable, Amr revealed that medication is supplied based on the population of each island. However, lesser populated islands often finish the supply sooner.

During efforts to close this gap, collected data so far has shown that there are 8,622 people dependent on long-term medication in the six Southern atolls of the country, according to Amru. The highest number on a single island is in Gaafu Alif Atoll Kolamaafushi.

He revealed that in Kolamaafushi there were 106 patients taking medication for cholesterol and 122 patients taking medication for high blood pressure. With the collection of these data, the issue of medicine supplies running out in the islands have been solved.