ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Social media users have slammed the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) health ministry after an alleged list of the costs of coronavirus treatment at private hospitals - which range as high as $1,255 - went viral on Monday.
The unstamped letter under the name of the ministry’s inspection and quality assurance directorate was shared by social media users, including parliamentarians from ruling and opposition parties. Most of them criticized the ministry for the high prices.
As per the letter which is dated August 9, it costs a coronavirus patient 500,000 IQD ($418) to stay at a private hospital for a night without an oxygen tank. Fees will reach 700,000 IQD ($585) if oxygen is provided. If the patient remains under intensive care for the night, the cost per night ranges between 1,200,000-1,500,000 ($1,000-1,255), depending on which devices are utilized.
The Kurdistan Region is experiencing an economic crisis, resulting from a dramatic drop in oil prices, the coronavirus pandemic, and the stop of its budget share from Baghdad. The KRG cannot pay its civil servants on time or in full.
Peshawa Hawramani, member of parliament for the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) bloc, published a statement on his Facebook page under the title “in the absence of conscience.”
“Those who set these prices never took into consideration the pockets of the poor, but theirs. Look, oxygen has fallen in the hands of the rich and they have cut its flow to the poor. The [monthly] salary of a Peshmerga fighter will only cover a night [at the private hospitals] without oxygen service!!! What if he/she needs oxygen or the intensive care unit? Will you take away his salary of three months?” asked the parliamentarian.
Rudaw English approached both health minister Saman Barzanji and spokesperson Mohammed Qadir but they refused to either confirm or deny the authenticity of the letter and its prices, saying they can only repeat a Monday ministry statement purportedly reducing treatment prices by 40-50 percent, although no cost estimates were provided.
Facebook user Talaat Muhammed commented on Hawrami's post, claiming that KRG authorities toy with human lives, while other users urged parliament to summon the health minister.
Rebwar Babkayi, another KDP MP, accused the private hospitals of “exploiting the situation ..to earn more money.” He called on the ministry to review the prices.
The World Health Organization declined to comment on the matter, telling Rudaw English the pricing is "an internal issue" for Kurdish authorities.
“These prices show that the health sector has been controlled by a group of businessmen who steal and are mafia. They trade with the lives of humans as they desire,” said Kawa Abdulqadir, a parliamentarian from the opposition New Generation party.er
Rudaw English reached out to private hospitals in Erbil for comment.
CMC Hospital officials refused to share prices over the phone.
Par Hospital, however, said that they treat coronavirus patients for free in coordination with the KRG.
Coronavirus cases have increased dramatically in the last two months, first spreading swiftly in Sulaimani then in Erbil and Duhok. The health ministry recorded 505 new cases as well as 166 recoveries and 17 on Monday. This brought the total number of cases to 17,547. Of this, 10,309 have recovered and 657 have died.
The pandemic has stretched public hospitals ,where some patients have claimed that they were left without oxygen for hours while the families of some deceased patients claimed their kin died due to a lack of oxygen. These claims have been refused by health authorities.
Soran Omar, who recently resigned from parliament, said in a Facebook post that this is not the first time businessmen have exploited the crisis, adding that this also happened when the first case of the virus was recorded in the Region as amid a lack of face masks available for purchase.
Additional reporting by Lawk Ghafuri
