Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi, the Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, criticized what he called the "destructive approach" of Iran's state radio and television against the government of Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday evening, December 15. Addressing the officials of this organization, he stated that "people do not accept your words at all." According to the "Entekhab" website, Mr. Qazizadeh Hashemi harshly criticized the officials and performance of this organization during a live television program called "Soraya" broadcasted on the first channel of state television. In this program, the Minister of Health responded to questions and issues raised, some of which were related to the salaries of doctors and the performance of the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, and said, "Your only intention is to come in front of the camera and, as you say, expose things, and you should continue doing this." Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi advised the officials of the "Soraya" program and the state radio and television to change the slogan "Monitoring for the Progress of Iran" in their program, as this behavior, according to him, "leads to the regression of the country." He pointed out that "people do not accept and do not accept the words of {state media}," reacting to the announcement of the results of a survey by the "Soraya" program regarding the "Health Transformation Plan," stating that "your surveys are like the salary slips {of some doctors} that you show." In this survey, more than 48% of participants stated that this plan has not led to increased equity in payments and better access to health services for people. This member of Rouhani's government also criticized the "silence" of radio and television regarding the "corruption" of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, asking, "Why have you been silent until now? Why didn't you speak up during the previous government? Why didn't you say anything about all those violations?" However, in response to the results of this survey, the Minister of Health stated that "the Ministry of Intelligence and the Statistical Center survey various individuals, and these surveys indicate the satisfaction of the people {with the Ministry of Health}." The official website of the Ministry of Health also published the text of the Minister's remarks from this program on Thursday, December 16, in which Hassan Hashemi explicitly told the officials of radio and television: "You are engaged in undermining the government and the health transformation plan." The Fars news agency also reported, without mentioning Mr. Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi's remarks in this program, that the Minister of Health became angry several times during this "program without critics." This news agency added that the Minister of Health had only participated in this program on the condition that "no critics" were present. The performance of some doctors, medical staff, and hospitals has been one of the main critical points for conservatives and critics of Hassan Rouhani's government over the past three years. In recent years, media critical of the government have repeatedly published various reports and news about the "violations" of medical staff and the lack of health and medical facilities in various cities of Iran, launching sharp attacks against the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education and Hassan Rouhani's government.
Health Minister: People Do Not Accept the Claims of State Media
Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi criticized state media for undermining the government and stated that the public does not accept their claims. He highlighted dissatisfaction with the Health Transformation Plan and questioned the media's silence on past government corruption. This matter reflects ongoing tensions between the government and state media regarding public perception and accountability.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi publicly criticized state media for undermining the government's credibility and claimed that the public does not trust their reports. He also highlighted dissatisfaction with the Health Transformation Plan and questioned the media's previous silence on past government corruption.
- Over 48% of survey participants reported dissatisfaction with the Health Transformation Plan.
- Hashemi accused state media of a 'destructive approach' towards the government.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's state media is often seen as a mouthpiece for the government, and its credibility is crucial for public trust in government initiatives. The Health Transformation Plan was implemented to improve healthcare access but has faced significant criticism.
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%