Lawmaker: Monthly Cost of Medicines for Thalassemia Patients Reaches 150 Million Tomans / We Urge Pezeshkian to Stop Medicine Shortages and Price Hikes

A member of the parliamentary health committee, citing the impact of sanctions and damage to the country's pharmaceutical infrastructure on drug supply, announced follow-up on problems facing special-needs patients. He stressed the need to secure financial resources and provide suitable foreign-currency conditions to prevent worsening medicine shortages.

Referring to the impact of sanctions and damage to the pharmaceutical infrastructure of the country on the state of drug supply, the member of the Health and Medical Commission of the Parliament announced the follow-up of the problems of specific patients and emphasized the necessity of providing financial resources and providing suitable currency conditions to prevent the aggravation of drug shortages.

According to Ambassador Arjan, Asadollah Cheraghi said about the monthly cost of medicines for thalassemia patients, which has reached 150 million tomans and is beyond the means of the families, as well as the abandonment of treatment by some patients, and in response to the question of what measures have been taken in the field of providing medicine, he said: We, especially in the Health and Medical Commission, which is in charge of the health and treatment of patients, have held three specialized meetings about the shortage and high cost of medicine in the past month with the presence of officials from the field of food and medicine and the Ministry of Health. In these meetings, we have examined the available solutions to solve the problems of providing medicine and supporting certain patients so that we can reduce some of the concerns of patients and their families with the cooperation of the responsible institutions.

This member of the parliament's health and treatment commission continued: Next week, on Monday, a meeting is scheduled to be held in the health and treatment commission to determine the role of drug problems, the shortage and high cost of drugs and the status of special drugs.

He pointed out: Of course, we have also faced challenges; including the air attack of the Zionist regime that caused serious damage to our pharmaceutical infrastructure. On the other hand, sanctions have also added to the issue of drug shortages and high prices. These conditions have made the process of providing some medicinal items more difficult and have doubled the necessity of more detailed planning, providing financial resources and strengthening cooperation between the responsible institutions to solve the problems of patients.

This member of the Health and Treatment Commission of the Islamic Parliament pointed out: However, we, the members of the commission and the Ministry of Health, have used all our power and capacity to follow up on the status of certain drugs, especially in the field of thalassemia, dialysis and cancer, so that we can manage these conditions and use the available credits for this purpose. Also, we are trying to remove the obstacles to the supply of medicine and improve the process of patients' access to essential medicines by continuously examining the existing problems and coordinating between the responsible institutions.

He emphasized: We will also request the honorable president, considering that he has been active in the field of treatment and is an expert on this issue, to provide currency conditions in such a way that, God willing, people will not face problems in the field of medicine shortage. The timely provision of foreign exchange resources can play an effective role in facilitating the import of pharmaceutical raw materials, the continuation of domestic production and preventing the increase of financial pressures on patients and their families.

In response to the fact that not long ago, Mr. Qalibaf also announced the allocation of a credit of 16 hemats for the fund for special patients and announced that this credit is separate from health insurance. Has this issue been followed up, he said: This issue is on the agenda of the government and the parliament is also monitoring it. We are trying to arrange this matter and take the necessary measures, God willing.