Iraj Fazel, Former Health Minister, Discusses the 'Decline of Medicine' in Iran: 'A Group of Ignorant People' Targeting 'Reference Groups'

The former Health Minister of the Islamic Republic emphasized that he does not see a good future, stating that 'a group of ignorant people' have targeted the 'reference groups of the country.' Iraj Fazel, in an interview with the Etemad newspaper, mentioned that 'teachers and doctors are groups that people need the most, and harming these groups is completely calculated and not in the interest of the country.' The head of the Society of Surgeons and former Health Minister pointed out that current problems are leading to 'the decline of medicine in Iran,' reporting that in recent exams, 'we did not have a single candidate for vascular surgery, and similarly, some other specialized fields remain vacant.' Fazel warned that with this trend, in 10 years, we will have to 'import specialists from abroad and send patients abroad for specialized surgeries again.' In recent years and months, nurses and healthcare workers in Iran have repeatedly held protests regarding their job conditions and related issues in various cities. The Ham-Mihan newspaper also recently published a report addressing the problems of the healthcare staff in Iran, examining issues such as resignations, job abandonment, and the departure of nurses, indicating that in recent months, aside from suicides, a group of nurses in various hospitals across the country have resigned 'en masse.' Mohammad Mirzabigi, the head of the Nursing System Organization, stated on December 25 of last year that over 10,000 of Iran's 'finest nurses' have opted for 'job abandonment and emigration' from the country. The medical crisis and widespread emigration of healthcare staff in Iran intensified two years ago, and the consequences of this issue have been repeatedly warned about. According to statistics announced by Reza Laripour, spokesman for the Medical System Organization, the emigration of the medical community has doubled compared to the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, and Iran is now 'exporting' doctors to five continents. The increasing emigration of doctors and healthcare staff in Iran has raised alarms about the collapse of the medical system in Iran due to the migration of physicians.