President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has announced plans to set up blood banks in five areas of the Maldives.

President Dr. Muizzu, while delivering his presidential address at the opening ceremony of the Parliament this year, said that students will be able to be easily tested for thalassemia by the end of 10th grade and that blood banks will be set up in five areas of Maldives, including the Male' region.

"The policy will improve the quality of health services in rural areas, and we will set up a laboratory in each village that is compatible with the village. The completion of the government's project this year to build tertiary hospitals in different parts of the country will pave the way for access to medical care in the islands without having to travel to Male'," he said.

The President said that preparations are underway to start air ambulance service in the Maldives in March 2020, so that air ambulances will have their own capacity to carry patients in the Maldives and abroad.

He further said that apart from facilitating free bone marrow transplants, medicines and consumables for thalassaemia children will be easily available under the Aasandha scheme through STO pharmacies in all inhabited islands.