A number of private and non-government hospital managers have reported the accumulation of unpaid claims from insurers, the continuous increase in the prices of medicines and medical equipment, and the growing difficulty of covering treatment costs.

The manager of a large hospital in the center of one of the provinces said that none of the roughly 35 insurance companies and contracting entities has settled its 1403 debt. Another manager also reported a 600% increase in the price of Ringer’s solution over three years.

According to these managers, medicine prices change on a daily basis, while treatment fees are set annually. They have warned that the accumulation of debts and the rise in costs will make it more difficult for hospitals to provide services.

Interview with Babak Khati, a physician and pediatric specialist