With the introduction of new health measures, the upcoming Iranian calendar year (starting March 21, 2015) will be a landmark in health care at the Red Crescent, said Dr. Seyyed Reza Raees Karami, health and physical medicine deputy at the Iranian Red Crescent Society. The focus of the management is to enhance health care and rehabilitation in line with national priorities, he added.
‘’Stepping up treatment efforts at field hospitals, expansion of medical centers in remote areas, increasing emergency departments, and boosting kidney dialysis services are programs which have already taken off, Raees Karami said, according to ISNA.
He pointed out that physical medicine and rehabilitation is one area that the Red Crescent has taken major steps to enhance. “It is especially important for us to provide quality rehabilitation care.” He announced a plan to specialize physical medicine through two initiatives of ‘’comprehensive rehabilitation’’ and ‘’emergency rehabilitation.’’ And with the establishment of the national Specialist Referral Process, a rehabilitation referral system would be launched.
“In the area of treatment, necessary measures to improve and upgrade dialysis services were successfully accomplished,’’ he said.
In the supply of medicine, there was considerable improvement too. ‘’Since the Red Crescent is tasked with supplying hard-to find medicines, it is striving to meet completely the needs of patients and their families at their local pharmacy.’’
Medical Blueprint
Raees Karami further said a comprehensive system for the expansion of health care is in the making and “the plan will become a blueprint for the Red Crescent’s medical initiatives.” Ratification of guidelines for emergency treatment plans currently underway will be completed by the end of the year (March 20, 2015).
On their work abroad, he said it includes organizing centers and helping them become self-sufficient. ‘’We are focusing on health care in our overseas programs too. Education and research is one of our main activities abroad and soon we are launching joint research programs with the Applied Science Center at the Red Crescent.’’Conscious efforts are made to keep Red Crescent policies in line with the population growth plan. “In drafting the comprehensive health care system which includes rehabilitation services, medical aid and treatment and even the care provided for hajj pilgrims we keep these policies in mind,’’ said Raees Karimi.
He regretted that rehabilitation services, particularly ‘’orthopedic rehabilitation’’ are not covered by insurance and urged for these services to be made “affordable for all.”
