Maldives asks Sri Lanka to provide doctors, nurses

Minister of Health Dr Mariyam Shakeela has asked the Sri Lankan government to provide doctors and nurses to Maldives.

The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation said on Monday that Dr Shakeela made the request to her counterpart Minister Maithreepala Sirisena during a recent visit to Sri Lanka.

In her request, Dr Shakeela noted the large number of vacancies in the health profession in the Maldives, and said that the Maldives is willing to obtain health professionals from Sri Lankan because of the better standards in the country.

Maldives signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Health Cooperation with Sri Lanka during a two-day visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, accompanied by an official delegation of cabinet ministers, Members of Parliament and other senior government officials to Maldives in June.