Here's a little food for thought while looking at the health reform movement in Kurdistan, Iraq.
Politics:
The current health system in practice is one that was established by Britain in 1920. Sixty percent of current medical practitioners have had little-to-no health related training in the past five years.
Dr. Fatah Hawrami, a specialist in Community Medicine in Suleimaniyeh city, has said that, "Personally, I don't know what kind of system the MInistry of Health has (the region's Ministry of Health), I don't think they have any system."
Dr. Hawrami has also suggested that training courses should be an obligation for doctors on a consistent basis.
The current KRG Ministry of Health gives priority to its "professionals" and doctors over their patients.
Drafts for patients laws have been submitted and resubmitted to Kurdistan's Parliament and has yet to be ratified.
This November, the Ministry of Health will hold a conference with foreign health experts and private health companies in regards to health reform in the Kurdistan Region.
Employment:
Last year, almost 2500 newly-graduated medical practitioners applied for jobs within public government hospitals. A few over 300 of them were admitted into hospitals and clinics for work in all of Erbil.
Is Your Doctor Even Qualified?
The issue here is that doctors are respected for simply that, the prefix that is added to their name. In general, they are incredibly conceited and lack the skills needed to heal some of the simplest illnesses. They have the potential, but their greed is their first priority.
If you were to pull 10 doctors at random, you are likely to find one that is honest in the way he treats his patients. If you're lucky.
Most doctors, in fact, will worsen your situation because they will usually cure every case with antibiotics and pain relievers, rather than diagnosing where the pain is coming from and why. That being said, your illness is most likely going to return. Furthermore, if they don't have the medication you need, they will prescribe a substitute.
There are times where patients will wait months to see a doctor for their condition; frequently, you will find a patient requesting a visa to Jordan, Turkey, Iran, or Syria to see a professional that can help them because there are no qualified doctors for their condition here.
Do not be surprised if you visit 100 doctors with the same symptoms and find that you have 100 different diagnoses.
Safety/Insurance:
The doctors that commit fatal mistakes are rarely punished, prosecuted, or acknowledged.
There is no insurance system if your doctor has made a mistake. You will be searching for a better cure at your own expense.
Pricing/Costs:
In order to enter a private clinic, most will charge you a 20,000 IRD (Iraqi Dinars). This is currently equivalent to about $16 USD.
Conclusions:
My conclusion is that the KRG Ministry of Health should definitely review its health policy to benefit the majority (Kurdish patients), while still providing benefits to the minority (Kurdish doctors).
There are times where patients will wait months to see a doctor for their condition; frequently, you will find a patient requesting a visa to Jordan, Turkey, Iran, or Syria to see a professional that can help them because there are no qualified doctors for their condition here.
Do not be surprised if you visit 100 doctors with the same symptoms and find that you have 100 different diagnoses.
I do not expect this transition from a private to public system to be easy;
After all…
84% of doctors are willing to work in the public sector only if their monthly salary is increased by 300%. Would you like a Mercedes Benz with that?
Respects,
Mina Saad Meman
***The data gathered is based off of the researches presented at the P.A.O. 2010 Health Conference for Reformation in Kurdistan.
