By Dr. Alireza Chizari
The much-touted Health Transformation Plan failed to become a source of pride, and instead has come to symbolize the collapse of health governance. Similarly, the devaluation of the national currency has shattered the economic backbone of households, fuelling poverty, public discontent, production costs, and consumer hardship. Those who theorized currency devaluation as a tool to support domestic production inflicted devastating blows to Iran’s economic foundations. If such policies were criminalized, they would certainly qualify as the mother of all corruption.
Financial hardship is not merely a livelihood issue—it opens the door to structural corruption, managerial compromise, and ultimately, betrayal of the public interest. What we are facing is not just an economic challenge, but a festering wound in national decision-making. A society that yields to systemic poverty instead of pursuing justice is a society whose fate is preordained.
Today, access to advanced medical knowledge and technologies that can save lives has become a near impossibility—due to exorbitant prices, monopolistic channels, and foreign currency restrictions. Those striving to promote these technologies are often accused of price-gouging, discouraging innovation and contributing to Iran’s declining rank in global health tech adoption. The late Dr. Sheibani was one of the few who dared to challenge this monopoly.
In today’s world, medical knowledge is part of a global value chain. A country with an unstable exchange rate will not be included in that chain—it will be excluded. Technology follows economic logic, not slogans.
As an innovator, attempting to import cutting-edge medical products now involves navigating an opaque and restrictive currency system that renders such efforts nearly impossible. We are facing what can be described as a “currency lock”—a mechanism that repels investors, discourages innovators, and, most tragically, harms the Iranian public. While citizens deserve access to top-tier goods and services, they are forced to pay premium prices for subpar alternatives, all in the name of “supporting domestic production”—only to end up with outdated vehicles like the Pride, Quick, or Atlas.
Iran’s economy, built on rent-seeking, does not foster genuine production. What we see instead is quasi-production—goods kept alive through import bans and indiscriminate subsidies. These are presented as national products, but in reality, they are nothing more than a mix of tariffs, privileged exchange rates, and anti-competitive policies.
The roots of this systemic failure can be traced to three main factors: poor literacy among decision-makers, incompetent and unqualified advisors, and chronic currency instability. The result is stagflation—a deadly economic condition characterized by inflation without growth.
The energy sector faces similar dilemmas. Some advocate solar panels as the only salvation, without understanding their technical limits or environmental costs. Few realize that lithium batteries used in solar systems have short lifespans and turn into massive toxic waste after a few years. Recycling them requires vast amounts of freshwater—enough to dry up a Nile.
Meanwhile, nuclear power plants, if properly maintained and overhauled, can last up to a century and deliver stable electricity with high efficiency. Yet the voices of genuine experts remain unheard, and our children’s future goes ignored. Those who treat sunlight as a commercial product are the same ones who have no regard even for their own future generations.
In the village of Kilan, a diesel generator branded “Stanford” has been operating for 70 years, still powering an entire street. This demonstrates that with proper management, even traditional technologies can outperform flashy, unstable innovations.
The Health Plan initiated by former Health Minister Dr. Hashemi is an example of a short-term success enabled by three critical components: knowledgeable and patriotic advisors, political courage, and currency stability. Today, none of these elements exist in our health system, which is why no current health policy—short- or long-term—can be considered reliable.
In the medical equipment sector, some so-called producers and exporters rely on smuggling parts through informal and outdated methods. In many cases, their imports even exceed their claimed exports. In a supply chain where donkeys and porters have replaced legal logistics, there is neither efficiency nor dignity. We are on the brink of mass disillusionment and membership collapse in weak trade associations—except for a handful of respected institutions still holding ground.
Others, driven by personal gain, actively support black-market currency exchanges and informal trade. Why? Because these transactions leave no trace—no import registration, no auditing, no transparency. In this scenario, basic cars like the Pride and Paykan pickup are sold at luxury prices, allowing profiteers to exploit a lawless economy.
What’s even more painful is that Iran once had globally competitive brands. Companies like Darugar, Arj, Azmayesh, Pars Electric, Narges, and Ghoo Oil survived fierce competition with international giants like Philips, Nivea, Toshiba, Toyota, and GE. Back then, imports were free, yet national production flourished—because competition was a driver of growth, not a threat.
At one time, we had two identical Grandik color TVs—one domestically made with wireless remote and rechargeable batteries, the other imported with a wired remote. Today, despite all the protectionist policies, we are still waiting for products worthy of the Iranian consumer. Our problem is not a lack of talent or production capacity. It lies in poor decisions, restrictive policies, and a dysfunctional policymaking system.
On global indexes—from innovation and competitiveness to business climate—Iran ranks below even war-torn or politically unstable countries. We are spectators on the global playing field, barefoot and in tattered shoes, watching others compete.
If our economic governance were a physician, it would recognize the illness but prescribe medieval remedies. We are not grappling with modern global challenges, but rather with the disastrous consequences of outdated policies like high tariffs and import bans. A country that tries to block the import of 22nd-century technologies under the guise of supporting domestic production is either naïve or unaware of the role of modern science in healthcare. It’s as absurd as trying to replace robotic surgery with folk remedies or using quail eggs to treat complex illnesses.
Today, rethinking our macroeconomic, industrial, and healthcare policies is not a choice—it is a historical necessity. Without such a reset, we risk losing not just our economic indicators, but the very credibility of our health system and the well-being of a nation.