The crisis in the field of health and medicine is a topic that has been repeatedly discussed in Iran and has worsened in the current situation of sanctions. Critics speak about the crisis in these areas, but official authorities claim that the situation is not critical. In August of this year, the parliament summoned the Minister of Health to the Health and Treatment Commission to answer questions on this matter, but at least two representatives were not satisfied with the minister’s explanations.

In this regard, we have turned to Beshir Khaleghi, the representative of Khalkhal and Kowsar in the tenth parliament and a member of the Health Commission, to inquire about the current situation with questions on health and medicine. Khaleghi, who is a pediatrician himself, in an interview with Khat-e-Solh, explained the relevant articles of the sixth development plan on health policies and spoke about foreign currency resources in the field of medicine and health, saying “We do not have a problem with allocating

What guidelines does the council monitor in the field of health and what concerns do you have regarding which areas?

We have regular laws that are passed every year in the parliament. But we also have a higher law, which is the sixth five-year plan. The sixth five-year plan determines the overall health policies in all areas. It is based on the overall policies of the system and the overall policies set by the leadership. The sixth plan has several specific clauses. One of them is the establishment of an electronic file for all Iranians. This was approved in June and was launched in July. This means that every Iranian has an electronic health file. This helps to eliminate overlaps. There are people who have three or four different types of medical records. This electronic file eliminates these overlaps. The second issue is clinical guidelines. Clinical guidelines are the guidelines for treatment. This means that the scientific society must determine, for example, what tests are necessary. It is not necessary to prescribe the same tests for everyone, such as MRI or CT scan. There are guidelines and protocols for this. The third issue is family doctors.

What are the problems we have in the field of medicine in our country and what is the situation of the country?

We do not have a problem with currency allocation. Three hundred and fifty billion dollars have been allocated for medical equipment, and that too at a rate of 4200 tomans. Because the health of society is our top priority. Of course, there may be some abuses, but the basis and supervision is carried out by the Ministry of Health and the University of Medical Sciences to ensure that there are no problems in the future. Because now imports are done at a rate of 4200 tomans. Well, considering the difference in currency rates, there is also a smuggling line. The Ministry of Health is also trying to meet the country’s pharmaceutical needs.

What role have sanctions played in these issues and crises?

Its effects are evident. It has caused numerous problems. However, efforts are being made to resolve the issue. Firstly, in the long and medium term, we must act based on knowledge and rely on our own domestic production and think of solutions. We do not expect anything from America given its situation and system. But nevertheless, we must not let the well-being of society be disrupted.

You said that 97% of the required medicines for the country are produced domestically and the rest are imported. What diseases are these medicines related to and to what extent are they considered vital? How much of them are general and how much are specialized?

General medicines are known to be the ones that people go to clinics to receive. These account for three percent of imported medicines, such as chemotherapy drugs. They are also produced to a certain extent. The effort is also made to solve the problem with a knowledge-based approach within the country. At the same time, for specific and necessary diseases, medicine must be imported at any cost so that people do not face any problems in this regard.

However, even in these domestically produced medicines, there is a noticeable difference in quality compared to foreign samples, and citizens often complain about it. In your opinion, what is the problem causing this issue?

Commitment is necessary for all classes. Unfortunately, some of our doctors, for example, say that this medicine costs four thousand tomans and the other one is 140 thousand tomans. He compares them. Well, if all medicines are to be imported, we have to allocate the entire national budget for drug imports. The doctor also comes and says the difference between Benz and Pride!
If doctors really cooperate in the current crisis and prescribe foreign medicines where necessary. In many cases, we see that guidelines and instructions are not followed. But ultimately, the Ministry of Health’s activities and efforts are aimed at not causing problems for the people.

One of the important concerns of citizens, in addition to easy access to medication, is the price of medication. What factors determine the pricing of medications and medical services?

Five, six years had passed since the prices of domestic medicines had not increased. Changes were made this year. The issue is that even the medicine producers, considering the current inflation, must be able to manage themselves. Some medicines were also removed from the production cycle due to not being cost-effective and they were forced to re-import some medicines. In the current situation, people are facing economic problems and the Ministry of Health and the Drug Organization, of course, must consider the people’s conditions as well as the medicine producers.

The question here is whether the economic situation of the people plays a role in this pricing. Whether prices are set in a way that no one is deprived of medication.

The price of domestically produced medicine is not very high in comparison. The medicine has a factory and a producer, and they must be able to keep the factory running. Factories have various expenses, from personnel costs to storage costs, and they must be able to cover them. One thing the government can do is increase insurance coverage so that people do not face difficulties.

A few days ago, the Minister of Health in the parliament mentioned the monopoly and hoarding of medicine, the import of counterfeit drugs, and even the harm caused to citizens by these drugs, the disappearance of allocated government funds, or the import of unrelated goods. How has the privatization of medicine and medical equipment imports been implemented and what have been its disadvantages and advantages?

The board of trustees of the currency enters these to ensure the needs of the people are met and prices do not rise too high. The private sector is also subject to a series of regulations and is not autonomous to do whatever it wants! The Ministry of Health and the Drug Organization oversee these. Oversight must also be present. The private sector also has defined responsibilities. Oversight must be present in all matters and the Food and Drug Administration and medical universities also have oversight units.

Do you think the parliament has been successful in pursuing the aforementioned violations?

The duty of the supervisory and legislative council is to refer to the country’s judicial system in the executive work. If the judicial and executive systems can cooperate with each other, many problems will be solved. It is said that a lot of drugs are smuggled into the country. Dealing with and supervising smuggling is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Health. There are other organizations that oversee smuggling. All agencies must cooperate in these conditions to meet the needs of the people. Our problem is sometimes in the area of cooperation. The definition of the Supreme Health Council is also clear. It is true that the duty of the Ministry of Health is to provide comprehensive health care, but educational and executive organizations must work together to solve these problems.

Is the parliament following up on the mentioned smuggling and issues that the Minister of Health has spoken about?

The duty of the legislative branch is to make laws. We have laws. But the question is, who should enforce the law? It should be the government and the judicial branch. We cannot just sit and ask, what is the situation with drugs? The duty of the legislative branch is to make laws that can solve the problems of society. This is the responsibility of representatives in the parliament. However, the executive branch must work with the judicial branch to deal with those who are traitors. It’s not just about Trump. We have many Trumps in our country. We must deal with them. When we don’t deal with them and they take advantage, this is what happens. Many people have taken advantage. Is smuggling not a big issue? We have over thirty billion dollars of smuggling in our country. Who is doing this smuggling? Who is committing these thefts? Who is responsible for all this abuse? If the different branches of the country truly work together, many problems in Iran will

As a representative of the people, what steps do you think should be taken to improve health and related areas in order to establish a standardized and corruption-free system in the country?

We have a specific law and program. Work has been done on this law. We have had various five-year laws. Now we are in the second year of the sixth five-year program. The sixth program law is above the current laws. It is a reference law. The government and the Ministry of Health’s program is specified in this law and they must act based on it. We do not have a shortage of laws, but we have a problem with implementation and work needs to be done in this area.

Does that mean you know the fundamental problem in the implementation area?

Implementation and collaboration. Collaboration means all organizations work together. For example, in the field of health, it is correct that the Minister of Health is responsible for community health, but should they take on all issues in the field of health and prevention, such as addiction? This includes the issue of drug supply, or for example, accidents that happen on the roads. Health, prevention, and well-being fall under the Supreme Health Council. The President is the head of this council. The Secretary is the relevant Minister of Health. University presidents, governors, and mayors are also present. If collaboration is sincere and traitors and hypocrites can be identified, who have infiltrated many offices, the issue can be resolved. We should not just rely on appearances. Many are traitors and they must be identified. This is also seen in our country. Do they really behave as Imam Hussein said about fulfilling the needs of the people, or are they just looking for personal gain? We see many of these

Thank you for the time you have given to the peace line.