MP Seeks Aasandha for Foreign Spouses

A resolution is being prepared for submission to the People's Majlis that would extend Aasandha health insurance coverage to foreign nationals married to Maldivian citizens. Proposed by Galolhu North MP Mohamed Ibrahim Kudoo of the Maldivian Democratic Party, the measure addresses what proponents call discrimination against foreign spouses who have built lives and families in the Maldives. The resolution points to constitutional protections against discrimination in Article 17, which guarantees fundamental rights regardless of national origin, and Article 18, which obligates the state to uphold these rights. It argues that while political rights like voting may differ, access to healthcare represents a fundamental right that should extend to all residents. Many foreign spouses have lived their entire adult lives in the Maldives, becoming integral parts of local communities and raising Maldivian families. Yet they remain ineligible for the national health scheme available only to registered citizens. The path to citizenship through the decades-old Maldives Citizenship Act has proven difficult for many, leaving elderly spouses with chronic illnesses facing significant medical expenses without state support. The resolution aims to bring parliamentary attention to this vulnerable group and gauge support for extending healthcare protection to those who have become part of Maldivian families through marriage. — Source fragments: