Iran Ministry of Health reports progress on Family Physician program

Alireza Raeisi, Deputy Minister of Health, has provided updates on the implementation of the Family Physician program in Iran. Currently, 13.6 million people are covered by the scheme, including 7.7 million urban residents and the remainder in rural areas.

In pilot centers, 2,528 physicians are active across urban and rural regions, with contracts established for 1,610 specialists in 64 counties to provide specialized services at state centers. The program has integrated electronic infrastructures, including insurance system connections, appointment scheduling, and patient referral dashboards.

Key statistics from the program include over 408,000 referrals to higher levels of care and 136,000 visits at the secondary level. Additionally, approximately 2 million drug prescriptions and 753,000 laboratory prescriptions have been recorded. The program has also proven effective in identifying non-communicable diseases, detecting over 19,000 new diabetic patients and 34,000 patients with high blood pressure.