TEHRAN — The Iranian Medical Council (IRIMC) has called on United Nations Secretary General António Guterres to lift sanctions hampering medicine importation to Iran. 

Iraj Fazel, president of IRIMC, and Mohammadreza Zafarqandi, head of IRIMC supreme council, in a letter to Guterres regretted about the adverse effects of brutal sanctions imposed on Iran by the U.S. following its withdrawal from Iran’s nuclear deal also known as JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) on May 8, 2018. 

As you know having access to healthcare services is a fundamental human right and everybody is entitled to it, the letter reads, therefore, all countries are required to respect and safeguard this right and strive to exercise it. 

In addition, all countries should avoid imposing limitations on any other communities’ accessibility to the healthcare services. 

Illegal economic sanctions imposed against Iran by the U.S. which is limiting international trade in pharmaceutical industry has seriously reduced our accessibility to medical services, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, the letter added.

The letter lastly underscored the need for taking an urgent, humanitarian measure to change the current trend. 

MQ/MG