Spokesman of the Medical Council says 'canned tuna' is more expensive than a doctor's visit

The spokesman for the Iranian Medical Council reported on the inter-professional migration of doctors and their inclination to enter jobs such as ride-sharing drivers and hairdressers, stating that residents cannot sustain their living with an income of 8 to 12 million tomans in major cities. Reza Lari-Pour attributed inter-professional migration to economic and income issues and told the 'Farhikhtegan' newspaper: 'When a hairdresser's fee is higher than that of a doctor, when the price of a canned tuna is higher than a doctor's visit, they naturally move towards other professions.' The issue of livelihood and the imbalance between income and expenses in recent years has led to the migration of many doctors and healthcare staff. In this context, Siavash Sahat, the secretary of the Iranian Society of General Surgeons, stated in August of this year to the 'Shargh' newspaper that if a doctor is not considered in terms of economic, livelihood, and social status, will there be any motivation to serve? According to Sahat, 'If doctors are doing things that are not aligned with medical goals, it is because the social position demands it.' The warning given by the secretary of the Iranian Society of Surgeons last summer is now manifested in the form of inter-professional migration and reluctance to work in certain medical fields, as well as migration to European countries and the Persian Gulf region. The state news agency 'IRNA' also pointed out other aspects of doctors' reluctance to work in Iran in October of this year, stating that 'students believe that medicine in Iran has lost its former status and no longer has the social prestige they expect.' IRNA wrote, 'They see societal views about doctors, media criticism of doctors, and government and parliamentary decisions as signs of disrespect towards doctors, and they believe there is no appreciation for doctors in the social atmosphere, whereas in other countries, such behavior is not directed towards doctors.' Another issue mentioned in the IRNA report regarding migration is physical assaults on healthcare staff by patients or their companions, which the state news agency explained as: 'On the other hand, medical students refer to physical violence against doctors, which is either their personal experience, something they have witnessed, or heard from friends.' According to the 'Didban Iran' website, last year, 160 cardiologists migrated from Iran, and 30,000 healthcare staff from medical schools requested the issuance of a 'good conduct' certificate, with their destination being Oman. The report noted that over the past four years, 16,000 general practitioners have left Iran. Ibrahim Raisi, at a time when Iran is facing a doctor shortage crisis, told doctors and specialists who have migrated on August 31 that 'a suitable and dignified job opportunity' is available for them and migration can be reversed. Healthcare staff continue to be exposed to violence; 'beating' of a nurse in Yasouj continues reactions to the case of a 6-month-old infant's death at Mofid Hospital. Attack on a Yasouj nurse with a knife, protest gathering of nurses in the courtyard of the Medical University. Unveiling a new layer of the healthcare crisis in Iran; profiting from patient information. Concern expressed by a former Sharif University professor about the migration trend; the current situation is a 'mass escape.' Warning from the head of the Medical Council: accepting a pediatric heart surgeon from a diploma level is not a solution. Protests by nurses in Saqez and Sanandaj.