Five
million vulnerable Iranians the first to be protected under plan apparently
inspired by Obamacare
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani (left) gives a live interview on state television during which he announced his healthcare initiative. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images |
Iran's
president, Hassan Rouhani, has promised healthcare for all Iranians in the next
four years in a move reminiscent of Barack Obama's patient protection and
affordable care act, dubbed Obamacare.
In an
interview broadcast live on national television on Wednesday, Rouhani said he
wanted all Iranians to be protected under a nationwide health insurance
programme. He said at least five million citizens who are the most vulnerable
will be the first people to benefit from the initiative.
Rouhani's
official English-language Twitter account was the first to make a link between
the Iranian president's plan and that initiated by his US counterpart. The
government "will extend medical insurance to all Iranians. First step will
be to cover 5mn uninsured Iranians by the social safety net #RouhaniCare,"
read the president's tweet.
"Our
people face a number of difficulties in their health protection and when they
enter a state-run hospital they usually have to obtain their medicine, tests
and medical equipment from other places," Rouhani said in the interview.
"We have to make sure our hospitals can give people all the services they
need so that they are not left confused."
The Iranian
president said his healthcare plan would be partly funded by cuts to government
subsidies.
Other
Obama-related gestures have also inspired the Iranian president and his
supporters. A music clip released on the internet in November and endorsed by
Rouhani reminded many of Obama's 2008 campaign video Yes We Can.
Rouhani's
interview, initially scheduled right after the 9pm news bulletin, was broadcast
with an hour's delay after an apparent row between the broadcaster and the
president's office over who could interview him.
The head of
Iran's national broadcaster, IRIB, implied later that Rouhani had handpicked
the two interviewers who questioned him.
When the
president failed to address the nation on schedule a news ticker announced
delays due to technical problems.
Rouhani's Twitter account reacted immediately by blaming IRIB's head, Ezatollah Zarghami,
saying he had prevented the live broadcast. "Head of Islamic Republic of
Iran Broadcasting, Zarghami, prevented live discussion w/ people on #IRIB1
which was scheduled for an hour ago", read a tweet.
The
government's official news agency, IRNA, also blamed Zarghami, saying he had
prevented the broadcast for unknown reasons.
When
Rouhani finally appeared in front of cameras, he apologised for the delay but
refused to clarify what had happened backstage.
In a letter
to the IRIB's watchdog, Zarghami asked whether the head of the government could
select his own interviewers, implying that was what had stirred the row. The
dispute dominated Thursday's front pages in Tehran.
In his
late-night interview, Rouhani apologised to Iranians for his government's
failure in distributing food rations, known as commodity baskets, to people.
IRIB is
independent of the Iranian government and its head is appointed directly by the
supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. It is the only legal TV and radio
broadcaster inside the country but millions of Iranians watch foreign-based
channels via illegal satellite dishes on rooftops.
IRIB is
close to the country's conservative political faction, especially the elite
revolutionary guards. Questions posed to the president on the national TV are
usually not controversial and rarely challenge him.
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