Iran Health Minister Quits Over Budget Cuts

President Hassan Rouhani finally accepted Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi’s resignation as health minister on Thursday, after a week of media speculation on the reasons behind the outgoing official’s move, and named Saeed Namaki as the ministry’s caretaker. 
Hashemi’s five years at the helm of Health Ministry was not without controversy. His team carried out the costly Health Reform Plan of 2014. Despite having the support of most parliamentarians, the plan faced hardline critics determined to scuttle it over the past few years. 
The ministry’s massive debts and delays in payments to employees and pensioners as well as allegations that physicians are the main beneficiaries of the Health Reform Plan were much discussed among experts.