30,000 General Practitioners in Iran Reluctant to Practice Due to Low Income

Mohammad Raeeszadeh, head of Iran’s Medical Council, criticized the low consultation fees for doctors, stating that 30,000 general practitioners in the country are unwilling to practice medicine or pursue further education and specialization.

Raeeszadeh highlighted the annual fee-setting process for doctors, noting that one of the main issues is the extremely low and unacceptable consultation fees for general practitioners. For example, a general practitioner in Tehran cannot sustain a private practice with a consultation fee of 1.2 million rials (approximately $1.5).

On December 25, 2023, Raeeszadeh criticized the lack of determination of the actual cost of medical consultations in the country, stating:

“If they cannot determine the actual cost of a medical consultation in the country, it means no calculations have been made.”

The medical community argues that the set fees for medical services do not align with inflation rates and have protested against them.

One-Third of Iranians Deprived of Basic Needs

In April 2024, the government approved a 35% increase in medical service fees, which faced strong opposition from medical groups and associations.

On April 7, Saeed Karimi, then Deputy Minister of Health for Treatment Affairs, stated:

“Private sector doctors’ salaries have increased from 360,000 rials in 2011 to approximately 700,000 rials in 2023. This means that in 12 years, their wages have not even doubled, whereas the minimum wage for other professions has increased more than tenfold between 2011 and 2023.”

On December 29, 2024, Jalil Hosseini, Deputy Minister of Health for Education, stated that Iran does not suffer from a doctor shortage, but rather, 30,000 general practitioners are not practicing medicine and must be persuaded to work in underserved areas.

On December 30, 2024, the President of Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, addressing the shortage of doctors in the province, stated:

“The low salaries and benefits of doctors in the public sector compared to the private sector, as well as the low consultation fees, are the main reasons for the doctor shortage in Qazvin.”