Senior health and higher education delegations from the Maldives and Pakistan have convened preliminary bilateral working sessions in Malé to explore establishing a dedicated medical college and affiliated clinical training institute in the Maldives, addressing the nation's critical deficit of locally trained physicians.
The diplomatic engagement was confirmed by the Pakistan High Commission and the Ministry of Higher Education on Wednesday, following discussions between Pakistan's High Commissioner Vice Admiral (Retired) Faisal Rasul Lodhi and Maldivian academic authorities.
Addressing medical training capacity
The initiative aims to establish an internationally accredited undergraduate medical degree (MBBS) programme in the Maldives, supported by academic faculty, clinical curricula, and examination frameworks provided by leading Pakistani medical universities.
Currently, hundreds of Maldivian students are forced to travel overseas to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal to pursue medical degrees, incurring heavy foreign exchange expenses for families and government scholarship funds:
"Establishing a fully equipped medical college in the Maldives with international academic partnerships will allow our students to complete specialized clinical training locally, ensuring a sustainable pipeline of doctors for our regional hospitals," higher education officials noted.
The proposed institution would collaborate directly with Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and regional tertiary hospital facilities to provide clinical clerkships and postgraduate residency training.
Expanding institutional bilateral ties
The medical college discussions form part of broader bilateral cooperation frameworks revitalized following recent high-level parliamentary exchanges between Malé and Islamabad.
Pakistani representatives indicated that Islamabad is also prepared to provide specialized scholarships, medical equipment donations, and visiting surgical faculties to assist regional hospital units in the outer atolls. Technical working groups are expected to formulate a comprehensive feasibility and curriculum report ahead of the inaugural session of the Pakistan-Maldives Joint Commission scheduled for early next year.
