Media Reports Increase in Immigration Document Requests by Doctors; Ministry of Health Seeking to Accept 'Foreign Nationals' in Subspecialties

Iranian media have reported a "200 percent" increase in doctors' requests for documents and administrative letters needed for immigration. Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Ministry of Health has issued permits for the "direct acceptance of foreign nationals" in subspecialty and fellowship programs as international assistants in medical universities. An "informed source" from the Iranian Medical Council told the Tehran-based newspaper "Etemad" that by the first half of this year, compared to 2018, the "number of requests by doctors for the CGS professional certificate has increased by about 200 percent." According to this "informed source," which "Etemad" quoted in its issue on Tuesday, February 16, in the healthcare system of the Islamic Republic, except for the years 2019 and 2020 when there was an "8 percent decrease in requests for this certificate due to the COVID-19 pandemic and border closures," this statistic has been on the rise over the past two years. The CGS (Certificate of Good Standing) is a document that certifies the "scientific and professional competence" of members of the medical community and is a requirement for immigrant doctors in many countries. This "informed source" added that in 2021, more than "4,000 doctors," in 2022, more than "6,000 doctors," and in the first half of this year, more than "3,000 doctors" obtained the CGS certificate, with predictions that the total number of certificates issued will reach "10,000" by the end of this year. Meanwhile, in addition to the widespread emigration in this profession, the repercussions of professional and livelihood problems in the medical community continue. According to the website "Khabar Online," a study conducted by the Tehran Medical Association found that the suicide rate in the Iranian medical community has increased "fivefold" compared to other sectors over the past two years, with at least "13 suicides leading to death" occurring annually among the resident population in Iran. On the other hand, the state news agency "ISNA" reported the issuance of permits for the "direct acceptance of foreign nationals" in subspecialty and fellowship programs as international assistants in medical universities by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic. Ali Jafarian, the former president of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, reported on January 23 that the wave of emigration among Iran's medical and healthcare staff continues, noting that one of its consequences has been the vacancy of "800 seats" in this year's residency exam. On June 1, 2022, statistics released by the "Iran Migration Observatory," a subsidiary of Sharif University of Technology, which operates in collaboration with the Iranian Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, indicated that "73 percent of doctors and nurses" expressed a desire to emigrate due to the "country's problems" and "economic situation."