PM Barzani allocates nearly 2.3 million USD for thalassemia patients

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday approved the allocation of about three billion Iraqi dinars ($2.3 million) to provide medical supplies and treatment for thalassemia patients in the Kurdistan Region, according to a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

According to the fund, 1.07 billion dinars ($816,000) are allocated to Erbil, another 1.07 billion dinars ($816,000) are allocated to Sulaimani and 739 million dinars ($564,000) are allocated to Duhok.

The amount will be spent on the budget of the KRG Ministry of Health and the relevant general directorates of the provinces.

On April 19, PM Barzani proclaimed the availability of free testing and treatment for patients suffering from the disease.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim Ahmed, the chairman of the Kurdistan Higher Council of Thalassemia, told Kurdistan 24 that the Prime Minister is concerned about deficiencies in locally available treatment options for thalassemia patients. Accordingly, the PM last year decided to send 100 thalassemia patients abroad for treatment.

Ahmed also said that most thalassemia patients are from low-income families, so this decision by Barzani was important and will ease the burden of these families.

He also revealed that 300 thalassemia patients in Erbil are refugees from Syria and southern Iraq.

Moreover, Ahmed confirmed that so far 854 patients have been registered in the treatment center.

"People who get married are carriers of the disease and their children will be infected in the future. To prevent the disease, the Kurdistan Region parliament passed a bill in 2007 mandating no marriages without testing," he added.