KRG to offer free medical services to Autistic citizens

Shafaq News/ Kurdistan's Prime Minister Masrour Barzani decided on Thursday that treatment and diagnosis services for autistic children will be provided free of charge in the region's public hospitals.

The move intends to financially assist families with autistic children, read a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

There will be no fees for treatment and diagnosis of the condition for the families under the new rule.

Prime Minister Barzani also ordered the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs to take necessary measures to implement the decision, the statement added.

In early February, the KRG Ministry of Transport and Communications issued a decree that permits autistic travelers to use the "business class" queues in the airports of Kurdistan.

“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain,” according to the US Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention. The condition affects each person who has it differently. For example, some might possess advanced conversation skills while others cannot even speak.

ASD is a chronic disorder that is usually diagnosed in the early years of life. Its manifestations might improve with necessary interventions.