ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The healthcare system in the Kurdistan Region and the rest of Iraq has failed and is in “crisis” because all the burden of providing services has rested on the government, which cannot cope, Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani said.
"We need to admit that we have a crisis in the healthcare system, which has failed not just in Kurdistan but in my view in all Iraq," Barzani said as a private local company signed a manufacturing agreement with a French firm to produce high quality medicines in Kurdistan.
"The failure starts from the point that government holds itself responsible for all the necessities and it cannot offer the healthcare service to citizens of Iraq to an international standard," Barzani said, calling for more private sector involvement to help boost health services.
His comments came as Erbil-based Awamedica signed a manufacturing agreement with France-based global health leader Sanofi to produce medicines in Kurdistan for diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
“This partnership brings new opportunities,” Barzani said. “I am pleased to welcome this type of partnership, which will positively impact our healthcare sector," he added.
Awamedica is a local company that was started in 2004 with Swedish quality and expertise, and Sanofi is regarded as one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Europe.
Barzani commended the performance of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) for building more hospitals and providing greater health services in Kurdistan. But he said that was not enough.
“I assure you that Kurdistan' problem is not good buildings and hospitals; our issue the health system in our country that need to be addressed," he said at a ceremony attended by a large number of KRG officials, diplomats and the Swedish ambassador to Iraq.
Barzani said that the crisis in the healthcare system should be addressed head on.
"If we addressed it, then other things would follow; if not, it would be useless even if we build 100 hospitals," he said.
The premier urged cooperation between the KRG and Baghdad to improve the health system, including the quality of medicines, as a way to prevent sub-standard medicines entering the market.
"There should be constant cooperation between Erbil and Baghdad on medicine, the quality and the issue of health system in this country," he said.
