Iraq’s Kurdistan Region to Spend $25m on Cancer Medications
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 7:24 pmERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s Kurdistan Region will spend $25 million on cancer medications this year, the autonomous enclave’s health minister said, complaining that the central government sends thousands of patients for treatment to Kurdistan without providing any financial support.
"The cancer rate in the Kurdistan Region is within international standards," health minister Rekawt Rasheed said at an international cancer conference in the Kurdish capital of Erbil, which was attended by many Western experts.
According to health ministry data there were nearly 2,300 new cancer patients recorded last year, bringing the total number of registered cases in the region to 8,000.
In addition, 4,000 patients from other regions of Iraq were sent for treatment to Kurdistan, without any financial support by Baghdad, Rasheed complained.
There are currently two cancer treatment centers in Erbil and Sulaimani provinces, and two more are planned in Sulaimani and Duhok. In addition, a third hospital is already under construction in Erbil and is being financed by Ahmed Ismael, a Kurdish businessman.
“I hope the businessmen will continue helping the cancer patients,” the minister said.
The Ministry of Health still does not have a detailed database about the number and types of diseases in the Kurdistan Region, but this year the ministry has installed a new system for registering cancer cases.
"This system will solve the issue of detailed statistics regarding cancer cases," Rasheed told the conference.
The health ministry has allocated $25 million this year to buy cancer medication, and allotted 10 billion Iraqi Dinars (about $21.5) from the general budget of the Kurdistan Region to a cancer trust. Five percent of the revenues from traffic fines and the entire income from taxes on cigarettes will partly finance the trust.
"We have placed donation boxes at the airports and the malls as well," Rasheed said.
He added that despite all these efforts, some patients still go abroad because, “We are unable to carry out some major surgical operations for cancer treatment.”
"The cancer rate in the Kurdistan Region is within international standards," health minister Rekawt Rasheed said at an international cancer conference in the Kurdish capital of Erbil, which was attended by many Western experts.
According to health ministry data there were nearly 2,300 new cancer patients recorded last year, bringing the total number of registered cases in the region to 8,000.
In addition, 4,000 patients from other regions of Iraq were sent for treatment to Kurdistan, without any financial support by Baghdad, Rasheed complained.
There are currently two cancer treatment centers in Erbil and Sulaimani provinces, and two more are planned in Sulaimani and Duhok. In addition, a third hospital is already under construction in Erbil and is being financed by Ahmed Ismael, a Kurdish businessman.
“I hope the businessmen will continue helping the cancer patients,” the minister said.
The Ministry of Health still does not have a detailed database about the number and types of diseases in the Kurdistan Region, but this year the ministry has installed a new system for registering cancer cases.
"This system will solve the issue of detailed statistics regarding cancer cases," Rasheed told the conference.
The health ministry has allocated $25 million this year to buy cancer medication, and allotted 10 billion Iraqi Dinars (about $21.5) from the general budget of the Kurdistan Region to a cancer trust. Five percent of the revenues from traffic fines and the entire income from taxes on cigarettes will partly finance the trust.
"We have placed donation boxes at the airports and the malls as well," Rasheed said.
He added that despite all these efforts, some patients still go abroad because, “We are unable to carry out some major surgical operations for cancer treatment.”