The Maldives government has spent more than MVR 3 billion on COVID-19 response operations by the end of September.
According to the most recent finance ministry statistics, total COVID-19 expenditure related to the health and social sectors stood at MVR 2.1 billion by the end of September, while total economic response expenditure stood at MVR 1.7 billion, bringing the total to MVR 3.8 billion.
Overall expenditures for health and social initiatives from September 23 to 30 increased by 0.6 percent over the previous week, according to the finance ministry.
The health ministry was found to have reported the greatest expenditure in terms of week-on-week spending, with the bulk of which covering grants, contributions, and subsidies, out of the overall health and social initiatives expenses.
MVR 565.3 million for supplies and requisites for service provision, MVR 80.9 million for capital equipment, MVR 65.5 million for operational services, and MVR 11.3 million for travel expenses were among the MVR 813.5 million spent by the health ministry on health and social response efforts since the beginning of the pandemic.
Since the start of the health and social recovery operations, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has recorded a total of MVR 868.5 million, MVR 363.6 million of which was for supplies and requisites for service provision.
Furthermore, by September 30, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) had spent MVR 195.2 million, of which 167.2 million was for supplies and requisites for service provision.
In addition, the Maldives Police Service has spent a total of MVR 31.6 million on response efforts thus far, while the National Social Protection Agency has recorded MVR 53.5 million in grant contributions and subsidies.
Government institutions spent a total of MVR 1.1 billion on supplies and services, MVR 201.9 million on capital equipment, and MVR 205.6 million on operational services. Other costs include MVR 177.4 million in employee allowances, MVR 164.9 million in grants, donations, and subsidies, and MVR 101.9 million in supplies and requisites.