Delhi sends 30k doses of measles shots to Male

NEW DELHI: Responding to an emergency requirement in the Maldives, India on Thursday supplied 30,000 doses of measles/rubella vaccine to Male. While measles has been eliminated from the Maldives, four cases have tested positive in the last week and the local government suspects an outbreak.

Male had initially approached Denmark and also Unicef for the vaccine but both apparently said they would require at least four weeks to arrange and supply it. It was then that the Maldives government approached the Indian embassy on January 20.

"The MEA, working closely with the ministry of health, procured supply of 30,000 doses of measles/rubella vaccine from the Serum Institute of India, Pune, and delivered the consignment on January 23. This will suffice the immediate requirement of Maldives,'' an official source said here, adding that India once again proved to be the first responder in an emergency for Maldives.

The government said in a statement that India's swift response underlined that health remained one of the strongest pillars of bilateral cooperation between India and Maldives.

In 2015, India had responded to a water crisis in Male due to breakdown of the main RO plant. India airlifted water and sent supplies by ship, including an RO plant. In 2004 too, India sent assistance when a tsunami struck Maldives.