KRG hospitals perform 258K+ surgeries, save $119M+
Shafaq News- Erbil
Public hospitals in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) performed 258,488 surgeries in 2025, saving residents more than 182 billion Iraqi dinars ($119.7M) in potential private healthcare costs while providing free treatment to thousands of patients with chronic and serious illnesses.
A report released Sunday by the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Department of Media and Information and Ministry of Health showed that the procedures included 217,238 general surgeries and 41,250 emergency operations.
Emergency operations were free, while patients paid 7,000 dinars ($4.61) for general surgeries. The KRG estimated that the same procedures would have cost more than 182 billion dinars ($119.7M) at private hospitals, including 161.4 billion dinars ($106.2M) for general surgeries and 20.6 billion dinars ($13.6M) for emergency operations.
Hospitals across Kurdistan Region also performed 1,108 kidney transplants and 24 bone marrow transplants, and provided 138,306 free dialysis sessions, the report showed.
They carried out 32,790 cardiac catheterization and balloon angioplasty procedures, provided 28,572 radiotherapy sessions for cancer patients, and performed 536 joint replacement operations.
Preventive services included 512,264 free screening tests for diabetes and high blood pressure, 122,705 medical examinations for people planning to marry, and 47,176 mammograms to help detect breast cancer early.
The KRG also covered the costs of cancer diagnosis and treatment, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy. According to the report, treatment for some cases can cost between $180,000 and $200,000. More than 23,000 patients with thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, receive free treatment.
Spending on medicines reached 325 billion dinars ($213.8M) in 2025. The Iraqi federal government contributed 222 billion dinars ($146.1M), while the KRG covered the remaining 103 billion dinars ($67.8M).
Total healthcare spending in the Kurdistan Region reached 773.4 billion dinars ($508.8M) last year, while revenues totaled 112.9 billion dinars ($74.3M). Government funding covered about 85% of total expenditures, the report concluded.
