Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian paid an unannounced visit to the Health Ministry on Tuesday, holding talks over his government’s plan for reforms in the health sector, including the fair distribution of resources and services as well as easing the shortage of physicians in less developed areas of the country.
“The authority to distribute resources in the health system lies with the government, and by appropriately directing resources towards deprived areas, we can compensate for the shortage of doctors in these regions”, said Pezeshkian.
He explained that the first stage to reform the health system involves the clear determination of the resources allocated to the Health Ministry based on law. “With the resources available to the health system, we can offer fair and equal services to all people."
In order to better implement health reforms, the president said that experiences of other countries can be used as well.
"In countries like the United States, doctors are not allowed to prescribe diagnostic and paraclinical procedures for patients, without a valid and logical reason”, Pezeshkian noted.
“Additionally, health insurance networks do not support the doctors who establish medical practices without considering the distribution map of clinics and treatment centers. This has led to doctors being appropriately and logically distributed across their country and providing services within the framework of the health system. We should also adopt similar approaches”, he added.
Health Minister Mohammadreza Zafarghandi and health managers taking part in the meeting briefed the president on the plans currently pursued by the ministry. They also made proposals to improve the health system.