Family Physician Program to include more cities
Family Physician Program to include more cities
TEHRAN - Family Physician Program - an initiative started in 2005 to improve the health sector’s efficiency - will add 59 cities to its network of services in the next Iranian year, which starts on March 21.
"The Family Physician Program will proceed in a precise and phased manner. After successful implementation in five cities and the elimination of deficiencies, the implementation of this program is expected to be implemented in 59 other cities next year, with a population of about 10 million people," ISNA quoted Sajjad Razavi, the deputy health minister, as saying.
The health ministry's policy is to focus on macro-policymaking, and the implementation of specialized programs in areas such as dialysis, cancer, specific diseases, and children can be carried out more effectively through universities, he added.
In April, Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi said the Family Physician Program is a large-scale program based on social behavior change.
Reforming the referral pattern and improving the healthcare network system requires careful coordination between the health ministry, governors, and other relevant institutions at the provincial level, IRIB reported.
So, it is essential to develop a national headquarters headed by the President to oversee the overall management of the program, he added.
“We have already reached agreements on ten key issues such as financial resources, location, implementation stages, and public information. Moreover, the chancellors of medical sciences universities will hold a meeting this week to finalize the implementation model for the program,” Zafarqandi noted.
The rural Family Physician Program started in 2005. Back then, it targeted villages and cities with a population of less than 20,000 individuals to make treatment referrals more concentrated and provide more convenient access to health services, ISNA reported.
Periodic examinations and monitoring of people’s health status, easy and round-the-clock access to basic services and primary care, and frequent visits to doctors are the characteristics of a family physician.
Medical, dental, mental, midwifery, nutrition, laboratory, pharmaceutical, and medical imaging are among the offered services by the program.
Based on the Family Physician Program, a physician and a midwife offer services in rural areas; every 3,300 villagers have a physician, and there is a midwife per 5,200 people in villages.
In January 2025, President Masoud Pezeshkian called the country’s health system a role model in the region and even the world, thanks to its unique, particularly primary healthcare services.
Lauding the substantial progress made in the health sector, the president said these remarkable achievements are the result of health workers’ ceaseless efforts, such as providing vaccination and prenatal care for pregnant mothers, controlling infectious diseases, promoting health education, sharing knowledge, and training new generations of health staff nationwide.
The notable increase in life expectancy, reduction in infant mortality rate, control of infectious diseases, and reduction in complications from chronic diseases are all due to health workers’ dedication and commitment.
Pezeshkian also commended the ongoing health programs, such as universal health coverage and family physician programs, which have made comprehensive and continuous healthcare accessible to millions.
The president went on to say that the administration recognizes the untiring efforts and services of all health workers and is determined to elevate the country’s health system to its rightful and deserving position, utilizing health workers’ valuable capacities and potential.
source: tehrantimes.com