Warning from the Head of the Medical System Organization: Accepting Pediatric Heart Surgeons from Diploma Level is Not a Solution

The migration of doctors and healthcare staff has made the situation of Iran's healthcare system very complex and problematic, to the extent that the head of the Medical System Organization of Iran has reported the government's decision to accept pediatric heart surgeons from the diploma level, stating that this is not a solution. Mohammad Raeis-zadeh reacted to statements regarding the acceptance of specialized medical students from diploma or bachelor's level and emphasized, "I warn that the robust trunk of the country's medicine is suffering from a blight." According to Raeis-zadeh, these blights are currently visible, and officials can come and see the problems during field visits. The head of the Medical System Organization of Iran attributed some "unprofessional" comments in the field of medical education to efforts to "oversimplify" medical science. He stated that the situation of acceptance and training in the field of "anesthesia" is very catastrophic, and no one is willing to enter this field. The medical crisis in Iran began two years ago, and warnings about the consequences of this issue have been issued repeatedly. In this regard, the spokesperson for the Medical System Organization stated on September 3 that the migration of the medical community has doubled compared to the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, and Iran is now exporting doctors to five continents. Reza Lari-pour identified the main reason for doctors' migration abroad as economic conditions and livelihood problems. Accordingly, the average income of the medical community has been reported to be below 20 million tomans, with 100,000 out of 150,000 medical professionals earning between 11 to 15 million tomans, which is considered "below the poverty line." The head of the Medical System Organization had also stated in September 2022 that the shortage of doctors is not an exaggeration and that there are currently no pediatric heart surgeons in the country. According to the Iran Watch website, last year, 160 heart specialists migrated from Iran, and 30,000 healthcare staff from medical science faculties requested a certificate of "good conduct," with Oman being their destination. Over the past four years, 16,000 general practitioners have left Iran. In a situation where Iran is facing a doctor shortage crisis, Ibrahim Raisi told doctors and specialists who have migrated on August 22 that "a suitable and dignified job opportunity" is provided for them and that migration can be reversed. Raisi's deputy does not consider the increase in migration statistics to be "dangerous." The Secretary-General of the Nurses' House stated that patients are dying due to a shortage of nurses. The health crisis in Iran has intensified; healthcare staff are leaving public hospitals. Seventeen percent of maternal deaths in Iran are due to lack of access to gynecologists. The Ministry of Health reported a shortage of 70,000 nurses in Iran. A doctor and former member of parliament stated that "10,000 medical staff" migrate from Iran annually. The human resource crisis in Iran has reached management levels.