SSO Role In Health Sector, Decisive

Tehran, Sept 27, IRNA - The Social Security Organization plays a very decisive role in the implementation of Health Overhaul Plan, said SSO's managing director. Taqi Nourbakhsh added that the organization has allocated $1.7b for the employment of medical staff to implement the plan in the current Iranian year (started March 21), according to Saturday's edition of 'Iran Daily'. He noted that four hospitals will be inaugurated in the city of Kerman in Kerman province, Birjand in South Khorasan province, Ilam in Ilam province and Assalouyeh in Bushehr province by mid March 2015. “The organization plans to purchase 100 ambulances and employ 3,200 personnel during the period,” he said, adding that the SSO has allocated over $133 million to the treatment sector. Nourbakhsh said SSO provides insurance coverage to 39.2 million people. He pointed out that the structure of the organization has improved since the new government took office in Aug. 2013 and many problems have been resolved. “At the beginning, the new management of SSO had to struggle with a deficit of $1.7 million budget,” he said, noting that thanks to proper planning, the organization not only managed to solve the problem but also increased the pension benefits paid to SSO retirees by 25 percent. Nourbakhsh said earlier 30 to 40 percent of revenues earned by the organization should be set aside for the next generation. He said two-thirds and one-third of SSO financial outlay are currently spent on payments made to beneficiaries and treatment sector respectively. SSO was established in 1975following the approval of Social Security Law. It provides insurance coverage to wage-earners and salaried workers as well as voluntary coverage of self-employed persons./end