MCGH CEO Haleem appointed chairman of State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation

Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem, CEO of the Male’ City Group of Hospitals (MCGH), has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors of the newly formed State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation Limited (SPHMC).

The appointment was announced by the Privatization and Corporatization Board (PCB) on Tuesday. The company, established by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu on September 9, aims to centralize and improve the supply of medicines and medical consumables across the Maldives.

Dr Shah Mahir, formerly Deputy CEO of Dharumavantha Hospital, was appointed Managing Director of the company on September 14.

In an interview with Sun last October, Dr Shah Mahir said the company would require three months to begin operations, citing the need to transfer responsibilities from the State Trading Organization (STO), which currently oversees pharmaceutical imports.

Despite the company’s formation three months ago, public complaints persist regarding limited access to certain medicines. Addressing Parliament on November 26, Health Minister Abdulla Nazim clarified that the corporation’s role extends beyond importing drugs. He said the Maldives has the potential to produce its own pharmaceuticals and develop a specialized industry.

At the time of the company’s establishment, STO remained a 100 percent state-owned enterprise. It has long handled bulk imports and distribution of medical drugs, consumables, and equipment, with STO pharmacies operating in every inhabited island.