Health Challenges in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Gap Between Services and Needs
The healthcare sector in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq suffers from a significant gap between the services provided and the actual needs of the population. This has led to a deterioration in healthcare quality and the inability to meet the citizens' basic medical requirements. Below are the main issues hindering the development of this sector:
Key Problems in the Healthcare Sector
1- Lack of Funding and Increasing Reliance on the Private Sector
•          Public hospitals and healthcare centers suffer from weak funding, leading to shortages of medicines and medical supplies.
•          There is a growing trend toward privatizing healthcare services, which increases the financial burden on citizens, particularly those with low incomes.
2- Imbalance in Healthcare Services Between Regions
•          Modern hospitals and medical facilities are concentrated in major cities like Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, and Duhok, while rural and remote areas suffer from severe shortages in healthcare services.
•          Many citizens are forced to travel long distances to receive proper medical care, adding to their hardship.
3- Shortage of Specialized Medical Staff
•          The region is experiencing a continuous migration of doctors and healthcare professionals to the private sector or abroad  and limited benefits in the public sector.
•          This results in immense pressure on the remaining doctors in public hospitals, affecting the quality of healthcare services provided.
4- High Costs of Medicines and Medical Tests
•          Pharmacies lack strict regulation on drug pricing, leading to excessive price increases.
            5- Lack of Preventive and Public Health Services
•          There is weakness in preventive and health awareness programs, such as vaccination campaigns and early detection of chronic diseases.
•          The lack of sufficient free healthcare services forces patients to seek medical attention only in advanced stages of illness, leading to higher mortality rates from treatable diseases.
6- Absence of Strategic Planning and Coordination Among Health Authorities
•          The healthcare sector lacks clear programs for developing infrastructure or distributing services evenly.
•          Random decisions, such as granting laboratory operation contracts to the private sector, have exacerbated problems instead of solving them.
7- Administrative and Financial Corruption
•          There are allegations of corruption in awarding contracts for medicines and medical equipment, leading to inefficient resource allocation and poor service quality.
•          Weak oversight of private hospitals allows financial exploitation of citizens without ensuring high-quality healthcare services.
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Negative Impact of Leasing Medical Laboratory Equipment to the Private Sector
Leasing medical laboratory equipment is a sensitive issue that has negatively impacted citizens. The main consequences include:
1- Increased Cost of Healthcare Services
•          Previously, citizens could obtain these tests for free or at nominal prices in public institutions, but after privatization, they must pay significant amounts for the same services.
2- Violation of Free Healthcare Laws
•          Healthcare laws in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region mandate free essential healthcare services in public hospitals.
•          Leasing laboratories to private companies contradicts this principle, as these companies seek profit, depriving citizens of free services.
3- Impact on Healthcare Quality
•          When laboratories are operated by private companies, profitability may take precedence over quality, leading to a decline in medical standards.
•          This could reduce access to necessary medical tests for low-income groups, harming public health.
4- Allegations of Corruption and Favoritism
•          There are concerns that the process of leasing laboratory equipment was not transparent, with privileges granted to specific companies without fair competition.
•          Such policies could weaken public trust in the healthcare sector.
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Proposed Solutions to Improve the Healthcare Sector
To address these challenges, serious measures must be taken to reform the healthcare sector. Key proposed solutions include:
1.         Increasing government funding for the healthcare sector and reinstating direct operation of public hospitals and laboratories instead of privatizing them.
2.         Improving the distribution of healthcare services, particularly in remote areas, and constructing new hospitals to ensure universal access to medical care.
              3-Reforming the salary and benefits system to attract doctors and medical staff and prevent their migration abroad or to the private sector.
 

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