Iran's Former Science Minister Blames 'Mismanagement' For Healthcare Collapse

Iran's former science minister warned of the country's collapsing healthcare system blaming "mismanagement in the ministry of health" and "unscientific policymaking".

Mostafa Moin predicted an imminent disaster amid a mass exodus of healthcare workers and corruption. "Mismanagement and lack of scientific approach in policy making are pushing our healthcare system to the brink," Moin said.

Economic hardships, coupled with professional constraints and a dearth of social and political freedoms, have catalyzed a significant exodus of healthcare professionals from the country. According to Mohammad Sharifi-Moghadam, a member of Iran's Nurses’ Organization central council, between 2,500 to 3,000 nurses depart Iran annually, exacerbating the strain on an already burdened system.

Expressing concern over the ramifications of this exodus, lawmaker MP Hossein Ali Shahriari, chairman of the Iranian parliament's Health and Treatment Committee, earlier highlighted that approximately 10,000 healthcare practitioners have left Iran in the past two years alone, seeking opportunities elsewhere, particularly in the Arab world.

Moreover, despite the government's annual establishment of maximum fees for healthcare professionals and tariffs for private hospitals, a survey conducted by the Iran Migration Observatory in 2022 uncovered deeper-rooted issues. The survey revealed that economic and social instability, coupled with institutionalized corruption and governance methods, were primary drivers behind the desire to emigrate among medical students, professors, and other healthcare professionals.