Open AccessPhysician importation--a solution to developing countries' rural health care problems?
Author(s) -
B Zeighami,
E Zeighami,
J. Mehrabanpour,
Iraj Javidian,
Hossain A. Ronaghy
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.68.8.739
Subject(s) - economic shortage , developing country , rural area , medicine , health care , service (business) , physician supply , rural health , economic growth , family medicine , environmental health , socioeconomics , business , population , marketing , sociology , linguistics , philosophy , pathology , government (linguistics) , economics
Developing countries almost universally suffer from severe health service shortages, particularly in rural areas. Manpower problems are the most critical aspect of the shortages. Iran has recently begun a massive program to increase physician supply in its rural areas by importation of physicians from India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The present study investigated two questions: What are physicians' reasons for accepting a post in a rural area of another country, and what are the attitudes of residents in such rural areas toward foreign physicians? Results of a questionnaire survey of foreign physicians indicate that the most common reasons for physician acceptance of the posts were higher salaries and the desire to go eventually to a Western country. Results of an interview survey of Iranian consumers indicate that residents of rural areas were far more likely to prefer Iranian auxiliaries than non-Iranian physicians.