Kurdistan Health Minister: 90% of Cancer Medicines Now Available at Sulaymaniyah's Hiwa Hospital

PUKMEDIA

Kurdistan Health Minister visits Sulaymaniyah.

Around 90% of cancer medicines are now available at Hiwa Hospital in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region Health Minister Dr Saman Barzinji announced during a visit to the city on Tuesday, as he reaffirmed the government's commitment to expanding cancer services and addressing staffing shortages across the healthcare sector.

The minister, accompanied by a senior delegation, toured Hiwa Hospital alongside several other hospitals, health centres and clinics in Sulaymaniyah to assess the challenges facing the region's healthcare system.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Dr Sabah Hawrami, Director General of the Sulaymaniyah Health Directorate, described Hiwa Hospital as one of the Kurdistan Region's most important specialist centres for cancer treatment, serving patients from Sulaymaniyah, across the Kurdistan Region and other parts of Iraq.

He said discussions focused on plans to build a new and larger Hiwa Hospital, adding that the Health Minister had expressed his full support for the project and pledged to closely oversee efforts to move it forward.

Dr Barzinji said maintaining the supply of cancer medicines had remained a priority despite the financial and economic challenges affecting the region.

"Nearly 90% of cancer medicines are currently available at Hiwa Hospital," he said, praising the hospital's management for ensuring continuity of services despite ongoing economic pressures.

He revealed that the Kurdistan Regional Government allocated around 28 billion Iraqi dinars to Hiwa Hospital in 2025, including 25 billion dinars for medicines and 3 billion dinars for medical equipment. During the first six months of 2026, a further 12 billion dinars was spent on medicines and medical supplies.

The minister described Hiwa Hospital as a source of pride for the Kurdistan Region and said the government intends to further develop specialised cancer centres, particularly for advanced treatment and palliative care services.

He noted that the hospital continues to operate under significant pressure due to the growing number of patients and the high cost of cancer treatment, with some individual treatment doses costing thousands of dollars. He also thanked philanthropists for their continued support of the hospital.

Addressing broader challenges within the healthcare sector, Dr Barzinji said he had discussed additional support for Hiwa Hospital with Kurdistan Region Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani and stressed that the healthcare budget approved by the Council of Ministers had been distributed fairly across the sector.

However, he warned that healthcare staffing remains one of the ministry's biggest challenges.

Although the Ministry of Health employs more than 49,000 staff, it has faced a shortage of over 14,000 positions since 2014. The workforce has been further reduced by retirements, resignations and deaths, with around 3,000 employees retiring last year alone.

At the same time, the opening of new hospitals, health centres and operating theatres has increased demand for medical professionals, making the staffing gap even more pronounced.

Dr Barzinji called for an agreement with the Iraqi federal government to return responsibility for recruiting healthcare workers to the Kurdistan Region, saying this would help ease the shortage. He added that more than 3,000 healthcare workers have already been recruited under the Ninth Cabinet and confirmed that unemployed medical graduates will also be appointed, although no timetable has yet been announced.

The minister also highlighted a joint environmental initiative between the Ministry of Health and UNICEF aimed at treating hospital wastewater.

He explained that hospital wastewater requires specialised treatment because it differs from domestic wastewater, describing the project as a significant step towards improving environmental protection and public health.

The minister's visit to Sulaymaniyah on 21 July 2026 formed part of the Ministry of Health's ongoing efforts to monitor healthcare services and accelerate improvements across the Kurdistan Region.


PUKMEDIA