TEHRAN, Iran, April. 13
Trend:
Iran's National Committee on Combating Coronavirus approved that patients who are in quarantine, to be covered by insurance, Trend reports citing IRNA.
"Last Iranian year (ended on March 210) was a very difficult year. It started with heavy floods. After that, we had the flu outbreak,” Iranian Minister of Health Saeed Namaki said at the meeting of the managers of the Health Insurance Organization.
"Before the outbreak of coronavirus, we were able to pay a significant part of the debts of governmental hospitals," he said.
“One of the serious problems of the health insurance organization was a budget deficit and a health insurance issue that was constantly increasing,” he said adding that the financial turnover have reached an appropriate level through the resource management.
"Insurance coverage for hospitalized coronavirus patients was also considered to reduce their costs, “ he said.
He expressed hope that the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) will be launced in the current Iranian year (started on March 20).
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019.
Iran is one of the countries heavily affected by the rapidly-spreading coronavirus. According to recent reports from the Iranian officials, over 73,300 people have been infected, 4,585 people have already died. Meanwhile, over 45,900 have reportedly recovered from the disease.
The country continues to apply strict measures to contain the further spread. Reportedly, the disease was brought to Iran by a businessman from Iran's Qom city, who went on a business trip to China, despite official warnings. The man died later from the disease.
The Islamic Republic only announced its first infections and deaths from the coronavirus on Feb. 19.