Iran could face health care crisis

Iran is facing a potential crisis, the economic sanctions of the health care system and reduce state funds alleged government mismanagement of the results, according to officials.

Lack of funds already being felt throughout Iran in the hospital, medical staff have been told they are "war conditions", should be cautious of prescription drugs - in many cases, not all - in order to save resources.

"This means that our hands are tied, said:" In the central city of Shiraz in a government-run hospital, the doctor Nasrin. "We have given a list, we not provided more than 120 drugs, because we simply do not have them."

Nasrin said, heart problems, diabetes and cancer drug treatment is particularly scarce. Matter, like other people interviewed, she only gave her name because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Drug scarce

Although there is an adequate supply of over-the-counter drugs and pharmacy shelves are still well stocked, in patients with more severe disease are increasingly unable to get treatment for their disease.

From a complex set of circumstances, including a big dose of Western sanctions, its purpose is to force Iran's leaders to halt its uranium enrichment program, as well as how to say in Iran criticized mistakes by the government's scarce. Although the lack of some anger have been instructed in the United States and other major powers in the world, there has also been an internal rebound.

Hosseinali Shahriari, the person in charge of the parliamentary health committee, said this month, "The government is playing with the health of our people and not to approve the financial allocation."

Shahriari pointed out that the cost of chemotherapy has doubled quadrupled in just the past year, about $ 67,000 - out of reach for all but the most wealthy Iranians. "Practically speaking," he said, "We want to tell the majority of these patients die."

Care crunch, Iranian officials debate whether to pursue a transaction with the United States involving nuclear concessions in exchange for an easing of sanctions.
Price increases

Iran has shown resist sanctions in many sectors of the economy. But Iran has been accustomed to receiving government heavily subsidized health care, and held by the competent authorities responsible for prices or unusable drugs.

At the beginning of each year, Iran's annual budget, submitted to the Office of the President, Parliament, revision and final approval by the various ministries of the central bank to pay cash distributions.

With the decline in oil exports and Iran's ability to carry out the severe constraints of international financial transactions, the majority of these funds have not been delivered by the central bank this year. Budget, the Ministry of Health has received only a small part taken care of.
Imported drugs

Iranian Health Minister Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi explained, said in a recent television interview, the authorities have begun to import supply drugs commercial flight, because they can not wait for the general cargo ship delivered. Valued at $ 2.5 billion, and called on Iran to import medicines and medical supplies of the annual budget, she said, only $ 60 billion U.S. dollars of Iran's central bank have been delivered this year.

This problem has been exacerbated by the collapse of the value of the Iranian Rial, that is, the rising cost of medicine and other imported materials.