Principal Secretary - Health Policy, Strategy and Accountability Department

Dr Sanjeev Pugazhendhi is the Principal Secretary for Health Policy, Strategy and Accountability at the Ministry of Health of Seychelles, a role he assumed on 1^st December 2026. He leads the Department of Policy, Strategy and Accountability, with responsibility for sector-wide policy and strategy development, workforce planning, health financing strategy, performance monitoring, digital governance, and inter-sectoral collaboration.

He has over fifteen years of experience in the Ministry of Health, having started in clinical practice, including the Intensive Care Unit, before moving into public health and health policy.

Dr Pugazhendhi holds an MBBS from Manipal Melaka Medical College, Malaysia, and a Master’s degree in Global Health and Management from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. His professional interests include health policy, health systems strengthening, digital health, health economics, emergency preparedness, and climate change and health.

Before becoming Principal Secretary, he led the Ministry’s Policy and Planning team and oversaw the Health Statistics team. His work contributed to major strategic and analytical outputs, including the Annual Health-Sector Performance Report series from 2018 onwards and the National Health Strategic Plan 2022–2026.

He has also played an important role in national coordination and emergency response, including as a core member of the Public Health Emergency Operations Committee, during the COVID-19 pandemic. He continues to represent the Ministry on several national committees and to work closely with regional and international partners.

Dr Pugazhendhi believes strongly in an integrated Ministry of Health and in the importance of promotion, prevention, early detection, and primary health care to ensure the long-term sustainability of the health system in Seychelles.