The health ministry has decided to improve health and sanitation facilities within informal settlements. The joint cooperation of the ministries of energy, education, cooperatives, labor and welfare, roads and urban development and interior is essential for the successful implementation of the plan as the services go beyond health care, said Ali Akbar Sayyari deputy minister of health and medical education.
“Under the health reform plan we have six programs, one of which is providing health services for people living in the outlying areas or city fringes and in informal settlements. Provision of health services to informal settlements is our second priority after villages,” IRNA quoted him as saying.
Informal settlements have been identified and categorized by governors across the country. To further improve health of the regional population, a health service station and a health expert have been allocated by the ministry for every 4000 people,” Sayyari said.
Every health station will also have two physicians and one nutritionist, psychologist and environmental health specialist each. “This way we can ensure that all the people are covered by primary and basic care,” he added. All the services offered to the villages will be provided to informal settlements as well.
About 1.1 million households in the country currently live in informal settlements. Their health package has been fully developed and training of experts for its implementation has commenced since December 6.
Alborz Province
Davoud Moghimi, deputy for health affairs of Alborz University of Medical Sciences said health services are to be provided for 52 informal settlements in Alborz Province. “The plan also targets foreign, mostly Afghan refugees,” he added.
The main goal of the project is provision of suitable access to health care and other basic services with a humanitarian approach.
“Alborz Province has the highest population living in informal settlements, due to the proximity to Tehran; unfortunately this huge number doesn’t have any access to even basic health services,” Moghimi said.
“We need 434 experts for the execution of the plan,” he said and expressed hope that it would be officially launched on February 1, 2015.
According to the plan, health care will be provided for 26 regions in Karaj, 5 regions in Fardis, 5 regions in Savojbolagh, 8 regions in Nazarabad and 3 regions in Eshtehard districts.
