Only 4% of patients in Kurdistan Region can obtain medication from state, NGO report says

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — Only 4% of patients who visit public health facilities in the Kurdistan Region can obtain the medication they need from the state, according to the sixth annual health sector report released by the Aran Organization for the Advancement of Civil Culture in Sulaymaniyah on Wednesday. The remaining 96% must purchase their medication from the private market at their own expense, the report said. Organization director Hejar Baban said the Kurdistan Region faces a serious drug-supply crisis, adding that 60% of cancer patients are also forced to obtain their medication from the private sector despite the high cost. The report documented further pressures on the health system, noting that 79 private hospitals in the region perform roughly 102,000 surgical operations each year, a figure the group said points to structural imbalance in the system. The report also found that 72% of the approximately 10,000 nurses working in the private health sector face serious workplace violations, and that most mental health centers in the region lack basic standards. The organization called on regional authorities to address the drug-supply gap and improve oversight of private health facilities. No immediate response from the Kurdistan Regional Government was included in the report.