Hossein-Ali Shahriyari, head of the Majles Health and Treatment Commission, said that this year the share of payments from patients’ own pockets in different areas of the health sector has been reported at between 55 and 75 percent, and that the prices of some medicines have also increased by 400 to 500 percent.

On Sunday, Mehr 5, he told the House of Nation website that the payment of outstanding claims of some public hospitals is delayed by 10 to 12 months, and there are even reports that patients have been asked to buy clothes and some items needed for hospitalization from outside.

He added that if such a thing happens, “it would be very strange and worrying,” and would show that hospitals, due to a lack of financial resources, are unable to provide some of patients’ basic needs.

Shahriyari also said that last year the Health Insurance Organization needed 185 trillion tomans in resources, but only 92 trillion tomans—equivalent to about half of the forecast need—was included in the approved budget.

Shahriyari further, while referring to the war with the United States and Israel, emphasized the pursuit of the issue of “revenge and blood avenging” for those killed in the war by “Muslims and free men of the world.”