TEHRAN – Iranian traditional medicine services will be covered by the insurance companies, head of the Iranian traditional medicine department at the Ministry of Health has said.

Currently there are 56 health centers and clinics offering Iranian traditional medicine services in the country, ISNA quoted Mahmoud Khodadoust as saying on Wednesday.

Following the meetings and agreement with the Iran Health Insurance Organization, the cost of treatment in the Iranian traditional medicine centers, will be covered by the organization, he highlighted.

Referring to websites illegally selling herbal medicines and filling prescriptions without doctor’s order, he said that in this regard, through correspondences with the Iranian Cyber Police and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, illegal websites have been announced officially. 

“At the same time, we announced the legitimate websites and centers for the provision of herbal medicines, through the ministry’s website,” he said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), traditional herbal medicines are naturally occurring, plant-derived substances with minimal or no industrial processing that have been used to treat illness within local or regional healing practices. Traditional herbal medicines are getting significant attention in global health debates.

Medicinal plants still form the basis of traditional or indigenous health systems and are reported by WHO to still be used by a majority of populations in most developing countries including Iran.

FB/MQ/MG