The President of the General Practitioners Association stated that one-third of the country’s general practitioners have quit practicing medicine.
Ahmad Valipour attributed this trend to a combination of wrong decisions in health policy-making by individuals or entities outside the health system on one hand, and the creation of a negative media atmosphere against the medical community on the other.
According to him, these factors have led more than 30,000 general practitioners to abandon their practice and turn to other jobs or emigrate.
On November 13, in an interview with ILNA news agency, the President of the General Practitioners Association of Iran noted that establishing a practice for general practitioners has become nearly impossible given the current tariffs and high costs, acknowledging that under such circumstances, doctors prefer to pursue less risky and more lucrative jobs.
Valipour cited the unequal competition with public and organizational clinics that offer cheap or free services as another reason for the closure of many private practices.
He warned that if fundamental reforms in health policy-making, tariff systems, and support for doctors are not implemented, the healthcare system will face more serious challenges.