Ahmadinejad sacks Iran’s sole female lawmaker from health post

Ahmadinejad sacks Iran’s sole female lawmaker from health postLondon, Dec 28 : Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sacked Health Minister Marziyeh Vahid Dastjerdi, the sole woman in his cabinet.

Dastjerdi was also the first woman minister in the 30-year history of the Islamic republic.

According to the BBC, no reason has been given for the dismissal, but it is being linked to her call for drug price rises to fight shortages caused by international sanctions.

Ahmadinejad rejected her comments, saying her budget needs had been met, the state-run media reported.

Prior to her dismissal, Dastjerdi said that because of the rise in the foreign exchange rate, there would be an inevitable increase in the price of medicine.

She complained of her department''s inability to get access to foreign currency she had been promised, the report said. (ANI)