Shafaq News- Erbil

Medicine price reductions across the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) generated savings of more than 300 billion Iraqi dinars (about $229.14M) during 2024, 2025 and the first half of 2026, Health Minister Saman Barzinji said on Saturday.

At a press conference, Barzinji announced that the ministry was preparing a new round of drug price reductions. “The ministry has also introduced electronic systems that allow people at pharmacies to check the official price of a drug, its quality, country of origin, and how it was transported and stored,” he added, stressing that the system gives consumers a direct channel to file complaints when they identify violations.

The ministry is also seeking a share of the medical-sector appointments expected to be included in Iraq's 2027 federal budget, estimated at around 150,000 positions, Barzinji said. At the same time, the KRI is expanding its cancer treatment capacity.

“Kurdistan Region currently has a number of cancer hospitals and specialized centers, including a hospital in Duhok and centers in the administrations of Soran, Raparin and Halabja,” he said, noting that construction has begun on two major cancer hospitals in Erbil and Al-Sulaymaniyah. The two facilities are being equipped with advanced treatment technologies, including some of the latest systems in the Middle East and technologies being used for the first time.

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