The economic sanctions against Iran have indirectly affected the pharmaceutical and medical sector as well. As a result of the Western sanctions against Iran, there has been a shortage of medicine and special patients have been facing difficulties. So far, one death has been reported due to the lack of essential medicine, and the lives and well-being of many patients are at risk. It is worth mentioning that during this conversation, we were informed by patients from Imam Khomeini Hospital that the hospital is lacking in essential supplies. According to information received by the organization, hospitals in Alborz, Khorasan Razavi, Lorestan, Markazi, Fars, Bushehr, Dezful, Kermanshah, and Gilan are facing severe shortages or complete lack of medicine.

What do you know is the cause of the drug crisis in the country and the increase in some essential medicines?

Unfortunately, some medications have been included in the list of Western sanctions, while according to international laws, medical drugs should not be subject to sanctions. However, we see that some pharmaceutical items are on the list of sanctions, and this has led to a shortage of medication in the country.

Do you actually consider Western sanctions as the main factor for the increase in drug prices and current problems in the healthcare sector of the country?

This is an important issue and human rights institutions should show sensitivity towards lifting drug sanctions and cases directly related to the health and well-being of people. It can be said that the issue of sanctions is not a new issue for the people, but it should motivate elites to increase domestic production of medicine in order to compensate for this shortage.

In any case, some medications do not have the possibility of domestic production and require importation, because the health and lives of people cannot be sacrificed for the time spent on achieving pharmaceutical independence and producing all medications domestically. What action has been taken for patients who urgently need medication?

Regarding the necessary medications for the country that must be imported from abroad, unfortunately, there is a shortage of currency in the possession of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, which has led to a shortage of some pharmaceutical items.

Does this mean that there are no special funds allocated for the healthcare sector in the country’s budget to provide necessary medication?

The subject is not about approving credits, in a session where the Deputy of Food and Drug Administration of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education attended the Health Commission, officially announced that less than one-fourth of the approved foreign credits have been allocated to the drug sector of the Ministry of Health.

Are there any supportive laws to facilitate the allocation of foreign currency credits for the healthcare sector?

We hope that the necessary funds will be allocated to the pharmaceutical sector as soon as possible, but it is not acceptable for the healthcare sector to be neglected. In the prioritization of budget allocations, medicine is in second priority after foreign exchange, but responsible agencies must cooperate.

And ultimately, who do you consider to be the main culprit or main factor in the country’s healthcare problems?

The legislative and supervisory council is responsible, and it is the government that is in charge of implementing laws and regulations. The fact that the government has failed to allocate enough funds for the healthcare sector is considered one of the reasons for the current crisis in the country’s health and medical system. However, the lack of budget allocation for the healthcare sector is a result of the weakness in the management system of the Ministry of Health in pursuing its demands from the government.