A Trade Official: A Crisis of Infectious Disease Specialists is Looming

The Secretary of the Iranian Infectious Diseases Association has expressed concern about the treatment conditions in the country, warning of a crisis due to a shortage of infectious disease specialists. Amitis Ramazani stated that the number of infectious disease specialists in the country has dropped to less than 400. Many experts believe that, considering the trend of physician migration, this could lead to a major crisis in Iran. Ramazani also reported on existing limitations regarding insurance, internal examinations, tests, and MRIs, which he claims have resulted in patients being referred to internal medicine specialists. The Secretary of the Iranian Infectious Diseases Association emphasized that these limitations cause delays in the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases, increasing the likelihood of involvement of other body parts. According to this trade official, the result of these limitations is patient confusion, the spread of infectious diseases, and increased treatment costs, leading to further problems in the country's healthcare system. These warnings come as the state-run news agency IRNA also reported in April of this year on the crisis of physician migration and the problems arising from the shortage of doctors in the country. IRNA highlighted that the Iranian health system witnessed many events in the year 1402 (2023) and that physician migration exacerbated the situation. IRNA also announced that the number of members of the Medical System Organization who obtained a 'good standing' certificate for migration increased from about 750 in 1397 (2018) to over 6,000 in 1401 (2022), indicating an increase of more than eight times. The report also emphasized that factors such as lack of primary services, high unemployment, poor housing, low wages, limited career prospects, workplace violence, professional discrimination, lack of economic stability, administrative corruption, political instability, and the risk of war are significant factors driving healthcare workers to migrate. Experts believe that good living conditions, low unemployment, better wages, good career prospects, better working conditions, and job satisfaction are important factors attracting these workers to destination countries. Overall, the migration of doctors and healthcare staff has made the situation of Iran's healthcare system very complex and intricate, to the extent that the head of the Iranian Medical System Organization announced last December that the government planned to accept child heart surgeons with only a diploma, stating that this is not a solution. The exile and harassment of nurses following professional protests by the 'Disciplinary Committee' of the Ministry of Health, another narrative of a fivefold increase in 'chain suicides' in the medical community, nurses are being equipped with pepper spray, stun guns, and telescopic batons for personal protection, the deaths of three nurses in Iran 'while sleeping' due to fatigue from overwork, Iraj Fazel, former Minister of Health, speaks of the 'decline of medicine' in Iran: 'a group of ignorant people' are targeting 'reference' groups, media reports of resignations, job changes, and nurses leaving work; a narrative of a fall, protests by nurses in various cities of Iran against mandatory overtime.