TEHRAN — The rate of cesarean delivery operation has decreased by seven percent in Iran since the enactment of the healthcare reform plan on May 4, 2014, Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh-Hashemi said on Monday.

Promoting natural birth is one of the objectives of Iran’s healthcare reform plan which proved to be successful, Qazizadeh-Hashemi noted, Tasnim reported.

Setting up 21 air medical units nationwide, producing 70 percent of the drugs domestically, building some 5,000 hospital beds annually, and decreasing the costs of medical equipment by 42 percent since the beginning of the current administration are of the Heath Ministry’s achievement so far, he explained.

Some 6,000 specialist are now working in underprivileged areas of the country, he said, adding, ensuring fairness in giving healthcare services to all the people, increasing the quality of the services and supporting the patients financially are of the main objectives of Iran’s healthcare reform plan.

The healthcare reform plan aim at decreasing the out-of-pocket expenses for the patients, promoting natural birth, and supporting underprivileged patients suffering from rare or incurable diseases.

MQ/MG