Iranian health committee chief warns of 500% drug price surge, hospital funding shortfall
Iran's top health official says drug prices have soared by up to 500% and hospitals face severe funding delays, leaving patients to cover most costs.
Key Takeaways
AIHossein Ali Shahriari, head of the Health and Treatment Committee in Iran's parliament, revealed that patients are now paying between 55% and 75% of healthcare costs out of pocket this year.
He noted that prices for some medicines have increased by between 400% and 500%.
Speaking to the Iranian news site Khaneh Mellat, Shahriari said that payments owed to some public hospitals have been delayed for 10 to 12 months.
He also reported cases where patients have been asked to purchase clothing and hospital supplies from outside the hospital.
Shahriari described such situations as "strange and worrying," saying they reflect hospitals' inability to provide basic needs due to financial shortages. He added that last year, the Health Insurance Organization required 185 trillion tomans, but the budget allocated only 92 trillion tomans—about half the estimated need.
Separately, Shahriari emphasized the ongoing pursuit of "revenge and retribution" for those killed in the conflict with the United States and Israel, calling for support from "Muslims and the free people of the world."