Kurdistan Regional Government spent more than 285 billion dinars on cancer drugs in three years
Health Minister: 40 percent of patients who are receiving chemotherapy are people from outside the Kurdistan Region
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani set the cornerstone of building the largest cancer treatment hospital in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, in Erbil on Wednesday.
Saman Barzanji, the Minister of Health at the Kurdistan Region Government gave his speech in the cornerstone building ceremony of the largest cancer treatment hospital in the Kurdistan Region.
Barzanji stated “the cancer figure in the Kurdistan Region across Iraq is according to the international standards, even if there is one case, we take it seriously, now the cause of this disease is as result result of the environmental pollution, malnutrition and unhealthy food”
He revealed that 19 million new cases are registered annually in the world, so far, the cases in the Kurdistan Region is below the international standard, which is 0.15%, but the world is 0.19%, according to the international standards, out of 100 thousand people, 190 persons are cancer patients.
Yet, there are 151 cases in the Kurdistan Region, which means that the region is below international standards.
“The Kurdistan Region has several cancer centers, cancer services are hard on governmental establishments, especially in the Kurdistan Region, 40% of patients receiving chemotherapy are people from outside the Kurdistan Region, who come here daily for the chemotherapy, tests and surgeries” Barzanji added
“About 250 types of cancer drugs are used, 120 out of it is the chemotherapy, which are very expensive, also all the chemotherapy in public sector, cancer centers and hospitals is on the Kurdistan Regional Government, however it is rarely offered in the private sector” He further explained.
The Minister confirmed that Kurdistan Region’s Government was able to provide %90 of all the treatment in the centers, and from 2020 until the end of 2023, more than 285 billion dinars spent for cancer drugs provided to all the cities in Kurdistan Region.
He highlighted that according to estimates, the cost of treatment and surgery in Kurdistan Region is between 180 thousand to 200 thousand dollars.
The project is very important, people in Kurdistan Region can benefit more.
According to official sources, the most advanced medical technology will be provided as well as all the types of therapies for examples: PET, CT and MRI Scans, bone marrow planting, Gama radiotherapy, and many more of the most updated treatment will be available.
Providing such health service in this cancer hospital, patients wouldn’t need to travel abroad anymore to receive best treatment.
The hospital building is four floors, on the first floor, there are three advanced medical surgery rooms to perform the most complicated cancer surgeries, where Kurdistan's experts and consultants do the most important and greatest surgeries by using advanced technology.
Translated by Seyran