A Labor Activist Reports on the Rise of 'Self-Treatment'; 'Workers' Treatment' at Risk

A labor activist reported on the pressure of living costs and the reduction of healthcare's share in expenses, stating that alongside the increase in diseases, the rate of 'self-treatment' has also risen, putting 'workers' treatment' at risk. Faramarz Tofighi emphasized that the issue of treatment, especially in low-income and working-class families, is 'more complicated than considering it as ten percent of living costs.' According to the ILNA news agency, Tofighi noted that the actual share of healthcare is much higher than ten percent. This labor activist stated that 'treatment is one of the essential needs of life and cannot be quantified by numbers and percentages.' He reported on the poor nutritional conditions among workers, saying, 'Due to the decline in workers' purchasing power and their inability to buy quality food, metabolic and chronic diseases have increased in the wage-earning class of the country.' Consequently, Tofighi mentioned that workers sometimes have no choice but to resort to 'inappropriate solutions like self-treatment' to compensate for the increased share of healthcare and additional costs imposed on their lives. The decline in people's purchasing power has been repeatedly mentioned, and in this regard, the head of the Supermarket and Protein Goods Union reported on September 21 about disruptions in the market due to the 'critical livelihood conditions of a significant portion of the population,' stating that this year, people's purchasing power has decreased by more than 50% compared to the same time last year. Following the increase in the prices of essential items, including medicines, and the reduced access to healthcare services, on September 5, the head of the Targeted Subsidy Organization announced the allocation of drug subsidies to patients. The inflation rate of over 40% in recent years has led to a sharp increase in prices, and while the inflation rate for the year 1401 was over 46%, the minimum monthly wage for workers covered by labor law has increased by 27% for the current year. Some experts believe that the stagnation of Iran's economy over the past decade and high inflation have created a situation where people's real income has lagged behind price increases, manifesting as reduced purchasing power and declining welfare.