Iraqi organ transplant patients' families urge PM to include care in health insurance

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Families of liver and kidney transplant patients in Iraq have called on Prime Minister Ali al-Zaydi and Health Minister Abdulhussein al-Musawi to bring transplant recipients under the country's health insurance coverage. The families said transplant patients require lifelong medical follow-up and care, along with costly and unavoidable emergency interventions that are critical to their survival. In a statement, the families said patients are particularly vulnerable because of fluctuations in their health condition following organ transplant operations. They urged the government to address their difficulties and extend health insurance support to transplant recipients. Medical specialists note that regular medication use, follow-up examinations and rapid response to potential complications are essential after organ transplant procedures such as liver and kidney operations. The families' appeal comes amid ongoing public concern in Iraq over the financial burden faced by patients with chronic conditions requiring long-term treatment. No immediate response from the Prime Minister's Office or the Health Ministry was reported.