STO Pharmacies to Close for Three Days!
STO has announced that its pharmacies will be closed from November 24 to 26 to facilitate the transfer of operations to the newly established State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies Corporation. While STO confirmed that over 500 employees will be transitioned to the new entity, the public remains skeptical about whether this restructuring will effectively resolve ongoing medicine shortages. Arrangements have been made to ensure access to essential medication for emergencies during the temporary closure period.
A worker at an STO Pharmacy. | STO
The State Trading Organization (STO) has announced the closure of its pharmacies for a period of three days.
According to STO, this decision was made as part of the ongoing process to transfer the management of its pharmacies to the State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies Corporation Limited.
According to information released by STO, its pharmacies will be closed from the 24th to the 26th of this month. During this period, the company will be conducting its annual inventory stocktake.
However, STO has stated that arrangements have been made to ensure the availability of medicine during emergency situations.
STO has announced that upon completion of this transition, the State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supplies Corporation will take over the management of pharmacy services and the importation and distribution of essential medicines across the Maldives. As part of this restructuring, more than 500 employees currently working in pharmacy operations will be transferred to the newly established corporation.
While the government maintains that transferring the management of pharmacies to a new company is part of its efforts to enhance pharmaceutical services, many are questioning whether this change will truly improve service delivery or ease public access to medicine. Public criticism has intensified, particularly as the administration has so far failed to take effective action in addressing ongoing medicine shortages.
