Video editing: Sarkawt Mohammed | Rudaw English
"The US says they have not sanctioned medicine. If not, then why are people having a hard time to obtain their required medication?” asks Hamid Reza Mohammadi, an Iranian father and husband suffering from muscular dystrophy.
With the national currency tumbling by about 70% against the dollar, the prices of imported medicines have soared.
For costly medicines that treat life-threatening illnesses like cancer, Iran depends heavily on imports. Iranians say they have to pay up to three times more for the same drug than they did last year.
Official reports say Iran produces some 95% of the basic medicines it needs. But as state revenues continue to nosedive, the government may have to further reduce its commitments. Last week, the Health Minister said budget cuts caused by the drop in crude exports have dramatically affected his department.
Washington has insisted from the outset that its sanctions on Iran do not include staples like medicine, medical devices, food, and agricultural commodities.
But ordinary Iranians are having to take drastic measures to secure medicine for themselves or their loved ones.
After the United States pulled out from the 2015 nuclear deal, economic sanctions were reimposed on Tehran. Sanctions primarily target the country’s petrochemical and banking sectors, but their effects have seeped into all aspects of life in Iran.
With the national currency tumbling by about 70% against the dollar, the prices of imported medicines have soared.
For costly medicines that treat life-threatening illnesses like cancer, Iran depends heavily on imports. Iranians say they have to pay up to three times more for the same drug than they did last year.
"Unfortunately when it comes to cancer, most of the medicines our kids need must be imported into the country. As a result, most of the time these medicines are scarce or really overpriced," says Dr. Arasb Ahmadian, managing director of the Mahak Hospital and Rehabilitation Center, a charity hospital for children.
Official reports say Iran produces some 95% of the basic medicines it needs. But as state revenues continue to nosedive, the government may have to further reduce its commitments. Last week, the Health Minister said budget cuts caused by the drop in crude exports have dramatically affected his department.
Washington has insisted from the outset that its sanctions on Iran do not include staples like medicine, medical devices, food, and agricultural commodities.
But ordinary Iranians are having to take drastic measures to secure medicine for themselves or their loved ones.
“My wife has blood cancer and I have spent 100 million tomans (approximately $7,700 US dollars) so far […] I am a simple worker. I am under a ton of strain. I have sold everything I owned and have borrowed money from family and friends,” says Hosseingholi Barati, a father of three and husband to a leukemia-stricken wife.
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