Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has said that 96% of the newborns in the country are born where health services are readily accessible.

In his address to mark World Health Day, the minister noted that 'immunizers against several diseases have been introduced in the country, 99% children are being provided vaccination and much effort is being put into increasing health services and bringing in well-trained doctors'.

He said that compared to 2013, 'there are 413 more doctors currently providing health services in the nation along with 681 nurses and 382 additional beds for patients'.

Nazim emphasized that expenses for the health sector in President Abdulla Yameen's administration 'has risen by 130% and that treatment for diseases related to the kidney and heart as well as cancer have been expanded in the country'.

The minister added that operational services, physicians, gynaecologists, opthalmologists, orthodontists, surgeons and more practitioners specializing in internal medicine 'will be introduced to the outlying islands in the near future'.

Furthermore, the minister noted 190 students have been sent abroad to study medicine, as per the government's efforts to better the health industry.

While World Health Day is celebrated annually on 7th April, World Health Organization (WHO)'s analysis shows that half of the world's population is deprived from medical care.