Iranian Official Acknowledges Medication Shortages For War Veterans

The head of Iran's Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs disclosed on Monday that medications crucial for veterans of the Iran-Iraq war are not readily available in the country.

Speaking to ILNA news agency, Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi claimed, "Our issue is not financial; it's the availability of the medicines in the market. This year, we didn't have financial problems, meaning it wasn't about money; the problem was the absence of medications. The drugs should be available in the market so that the foundation can provide them to veterans."

Highlighting the necessity for medicines addressing "neurological and psychological" issues stemming from the eight-year war (1980-1988), Ghazizadeh Hashemi stated, "I am aware of the predicament. Sometimes we import them inappropriately in suitcases, which is not the correct method."

Reports in recent months have surfaced regarding the scarcity and soaring prices of various medications in Iran, coupled with the bankruptcy and closure of pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, there are indications of several Iranian pharmaceutical firms relocating to neighboring countries to sustain operations.

Importing medicine is controlled by the government, which should appropriate foreign currency to both public and private sector importers. Annual imports of medications and pharmaceutical raw materials costs more than $2 billion.

Iranian authorities attributing the medicine shortage in the country to sanctions, but the United States insists that medicine is not among the sanctioned items, maintaining that Iran can import it.