Maldives Requests for Emergency Vaccines, India Responds Swiftly

Continuing with its policy of being the first responder in the neighbourhood, India on Thursday supplied the Maldives with 30,000 doses of measles vaccine within 72 hours of the request by the country. In this article, Smita Sharma tells us how India helped the Indian Ocean country to deal with this hour of distress.

Hyderabad: Responding swiftly to a request from the Maldivian government, New Delhi has sent 30,000 doses of Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccine to the small island nation.

New Delhi procured 30,000 doses of MR vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, Pvt. Ltd, and rushed it to capital Male within three days amid fears of a measles outbreak. Sources said that while Measles has been eliminated from the Maldives, four cases tested positive in the last one week that gave rise to the fears of a possible outbreak.

Maldives initially approached the government of Denmark and UNICEF for some emergency supplies and were informed it would take up to four weeks.

However, New Delhi was able to deliver the immediate consignment required within three days of the request.

The vaccines were handed over to the Ministry of Health in Male on Wednesday by Indian Ambassador Sanjay Sudhir. ‘India’s swift response underlines that health remains one of the strongest pillars of bilateral cooperation between India and Maldives. This gesture also emphasizes the mutually supportive roles of India’s Neighbourhood First Policy and the Maldives’ India First policy, acting for the benefit of our peoples,’ said the Indian Embassy in a formal release.

India and Maldives signed MoU on Health cooperation during the State Visit of PM Modi in June 2019 focusing on cooperation in capacity building and training of doctors and medical professionals, disease surveillance, training of mental health professionals, setting up of digital health capacities in the island nation located strategically on the Indian Ocean. The Tata Memorial Cancer Centre is also building a 100-bed comprehensive, state-of-the-art Cancer Hospital in Hulhumale as a project under the bilateral US$ 800 million Line of Credit offered by India.

While India and Maldives relations suffered blows under the previous Yameen regime, bilateral ties have been back on track with the election of President Ibrahim Solih. This is not the first time that India has been a first responder in times of humanitarian emergency for the Maldives. In 2015, a water crisis following a breakdown of the main RO plant in capital Male meant emergency late-night calls to New Delhi.

India airlifted water immediately and also sent supplies by ship, including an RO plant. India was also among the first regional responders when tsunami struck in several countries including Maldives whose economy is dependent highly on tourism revenues. In 1988, the Indian government under Rajeev Gandhi through Operation Cactus responded to an SOS from then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom and sent paratroopers onboard IL-76 aircraft to defend the nation from mercenaries attempting a coup.