On April 16, the spokesman of Iranian regime\u2019s Health Ministry pointing to currency fluctuations had declared that \u201cdrug prices won\u2019t be affected by the current situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prices of prescription drugs, however, have been soaring ever since and many people including many retired workers are unable to pay for the costs of even necessary drugs.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Health Minister, you said that drug prices won\u2019t go up. Now what do you have to say? Why are you telling this much lies to people? For how long are you going to do this?\u201d asks retired worker Morteza Assadi in his interview with state-run ILNA news agency on April 23, 2018.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow am I supposed to make my empty food basket even smaller to save for my million-Toman drug costs?\u201d<\/p>\n
“How much pension income does a retired worker in Iran receives to spend 400-500 thousand Toman a month on his medications, so he can only keep walking and avoid paralysis?”<\/p>\n
These are the concerns of a retired worker who is going to be bound to wheelchair unless he has regular injections.<\/p>\n
Sick and tired of regime officials\u2019 empty promises, Assadi says \u201chow am I supposed to pay heavy drug costs? How much pension income does a retired worker receive to pay 400-500 thousand Toman a month for his medications, only to be able to walk and avoid paralysis?\u201d<\/p>\n
Due to an acute disease, the retired worker was put out of work three years ago on the eve of turning 40 and now is living on pension income. He\u2019s suffering from AS, a disease which is a degree below MS, as he puts it.<\/p>\n
Assadi is upset about regime Health Minister\u2019s earlier comments, promising that drug prices would remain unchanged; promises that Assadi believes have all failed, making it difficult for many low-income people to continue living.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn any economic crisis when the charts show foreign currency and US Dollar appreciation, there\u2019ll be a drug shortage or scarcity, or increased drug prices at best, with special and difficult to cure patients being the most hit as imported drugs for such patients is a matter of life and death, even more crucial than the food they eat\u201d, writes state-run ILNA news agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cMorteza Assadi is one of the low-income people who have been hit the most by high prices of imported goods, including drugs.<\/p>\n
\u201cA former Qazvin\u2019s Noorplus worker, Assadi now lives in the city while worrying about the day when he\u2019ll no longer be able to pay for his medications and end up wheelchair bound.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout the drugs, I won\u2019t be able to walk and will have to stay at home all day. With the progression of the disease, we found out that it was a type of acute pneumonia. The disease progressed so much that put me out of work three years ago at the age of 39,\u201d Assadi describes his story, adding \u201cnow, I receive the least pension income of just 950 thousand tomans a month. This year\u2019s pension rises have not been in effect yet, so I still receive the last year\u2019s rate. Drug prices meanwhile have skyrocketed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pointing to official\u2019s promises about keeping drug prices unchanged, Assadi says \u201cwe\u2019ve heard many of these empty promises. But anytime they say \u2018don\u2019t worry about it\u2019, it means that it\u2019s quite the opposite and we should be really concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n
Assadi describes that he has to pay 900 thousand tomans for three injections a month, a fee that used to be 250 thousand until not so long ago.<\/p>\n
Having no other source of income except his meager pension, Assadi says \u201cI have children who go to school and university. Besides, the 900 thousand I just mentioned is only the cost of injections. With doctor\u2019s visit, daily drug intakes, and other costs involved, I have to pay at least another 100 thousand for my treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aidali Karimi, executive secretary of Qazvin\u2019s Worker House, is closely familiar with Assadi and his problems. Pointing to the difficulties the retired worker is faced with, Karimi says \u201cAssadi is going through too difficult times. Drug prices increased sharply over the past few months, but the insurance rates remained unchanged, making it difficult for workers and low-income pensioners.\u201d<\/p>\n
Karimi criticizes regime\u2019s Health Ministry, saying \u201cwhat happened to the promises the Health Minister made? Weren\u2019t drug prices supposed to remain unchanged? Weren\u2019t people supposed to not worry about it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does the Health Ministry want form workers? On one hand, they raise drug prices, and on the other hand they discredit health insurance plans by seizing social security\u2019s medical resources. What\u2019s this situation after all? They\u2019re passing it over to one another while the worker\u2019s voice is not being heard by anyone\u201d, Karimi adds.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"