The Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education said at a press conference and ceremony commemorating Journalist Day: This year, 6,000 hospital beds will be put into operation across the country.
According to Radio Salamat Public Relations, Dr. Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi, Minister of Health, stated that the operation of each hospital bed costs about 10 billion tomans, adding: The Ministry of Health recruitment exam will be held in September of this year, during which 27,000 people will be recruited. So far, 111,000 people have registered to participate in this exam.
Referring to this year's Arbaeen walking ceremony, he continued: Health teams will be deployed in all internal regions, including the cities of Mehran, Chazabeh and other places, as well as in Iraq. So far, nearly 500,000 services have been provided to pilgrims and 50,000 patients have been treated in health convoys.
Emphasizing the need to increase the attractiveness of specialized and superspecialized medical fields that are at risk of extinction, the Minister of Health stated: Some fields are facing a shortage of admissions, including anesthesia, pediatrics, and some surgeries. To support these fields, conditions must be improved by setting appropriate tariffs and providing economic facilities. The path for students to enter these fields must also be facilitated.
Zafarghandi added: For example, in the field of cardiac surgery, a student must complete a three-year course of general surgery and enter this field directly without passing the plan. It has also been proposed that students be able to enter these fields from the end of their internship period. Decision-making in these areas has been entrusted to a committee in the Deputy Education Office.
Regarding resolving the electricity imbalance in hospitals, he said: In the past two months, one billion Tomans have been allocated to hospitals to purchase generators.
Referring to the exhaustion and shortage of hospital beds, the Minister of Health stated: “This shortage must be eliminated based on scientific criteria and by properly implementing the law on the leveling of medical services. The construction of hospitals must be carried out considering the population, accessibility, and distance from provincial centers.”
Stating that the standard bed occupancy rate is 70 percent, Zafar Qandi emphasized: “In addition to leveling, addressing emergency cases, which is the responsibility of the government, should be considered, especially in deprived areas. A trauma patient or a pregnant woman should not lose her life due to the lack of a hospital. A logical balance must be established between observing the leveling and addressing emergency cases. Currently, there are 50,000 hospital beds in the country that need to be replaced with new beds.”
In response to a question from a Sputnik reporter about Iran-Russia relations in the field of health, the Minister of Health said: So far, two or three joint meetings have been held with the Russian Deputy Minister of Health at the Eurasian and BRICS summits, and memorandums of understanding have been signed between the two countries in the fields of medicine and health.
Regarding drug shortages, Zafarghandi stated: "Lack of liquidity is a major challenge in this area, and several measures have been taken to compensate for it. Drug prices must be set realistically and in proportion to the capabilities of insurance companies so that factories can continue their activities."
He added: "Insurance companies must pay off pharmaceutical companies' debts to compensate for liquidity." Last year, a 25 trillion tomans authorization was received from the meeting of the heads of state, which was able to compensate for 55 percent of the backlog in this area. Also, the Progress Fund has come to the aid of this area to provide equipment and medicine.
In conclusion, the Minister of Health referred to holding elections for student publications after a long hiatus and said: "We need student participation in the field of family medicine, because this program should change the health system and culture in the country."
