Migration of Surgical Elites from Iran; Lives of Hundreds of Children Needing Heart Surgery at Risk

The Iranian Medical Council reported that with the emigration of the top pediatric heart surgeon, Dr. Maziar Gholampour Dehki, 638 children in need of heart surgery are now at risk. Ham-Mihan wrote: "The news was short and painful! Dr. Maziar Gholampour Dehki, a renowned heart transplant surgeon for children, has also emigrated from Iran. His patient waiting list was full for the next two years, with 638 children awaiting surgery at Shahid Rajaei Heart and Vascular Center." The head of the pediatric heart transplant department at Shahid Rajaei Hospital stated that the country is currently facing a severe shortage of pediatric heart surgeons, and patients must wait 2 to 3 years for this procedure. With the increase in human resource emigration from Iran, Islamic Republic officials announced they would combat immigration offices and prevent the "organized" emigration of elites. The website "Rooidad 24" reacted to this government decision by stating: "Officials want to prevent the emigration of elites in collaboration with the police." The newspaper "Ham-Mihan" referred to this action as a "police solution to combat elite emigration" and wrote: "This police and hardware approach to societal issues not only solves no problems but exacerbates them." The head of the Strategic Studies Center of the Presidency stated on January 7 that the root of emigration in Iran is not economic; people emigrate due to a lack of a clear vision for the future. Iranian media reported a 200% increase in requests from doctors for the necessary documents and letters for emigration this year. The wave of emigration and the desire to emigrate among doctors and elites was discussed in an exclusive interview with Mehrdad Darvishpour; Dr. Attari stated: "The law of 'establishing educational justice' is a cage that the government has built to prevent the exit of elites." The year of collapse is the year of escape; a year that Khamenei named 'production, knowledge-based, and job-creating.' The regulation 'supporting Iranian elites' was issued; an effort to reduce elite emigration. The emigration of 'three thousand nurses' from Iran last year; Abutalebi stated: the situation is at 'the brink of crisis.' A newspaper's account of Iranian emigrants; we are witnessing irreversible emigration. The government's response to protesting nurses; protesters received a six-month suspension from service. The government's efforts to prevent the emigration of nurses; a package for 'nurse retention' is being drafted. Half of Iran's doctors are inclined to emigrate.