TEHRAN – A total of 89 new cities have been included in the Family Physician Program, which is intended to provide basic healthcare services effectively in cities with a population of less than 20,000 across the country.

The program was previously carried out in 93 cities with a total population of nine million people.

On November 22, it was launched in 89 more cities leading to 182 cities in total with some 20 million people covered by the program, ISNA reported Hossein Farshidi, an official with the health ministry, as saying.

It will be launched in other cities with a total population of 28 million as of late April next year, Farshidi added.

Observing the results of the survey carried out by the national health campaign, which monitors high blood pressure and diabetes, the success of the program can be measured as 100 percent of the population of these 93 cities will be screened in the campaign, he noted.

So far, the Family Physician Program has made treatment referrals more concentrated and improved the interactions between doctors and healthcare providers.

Family Physician Program

On September 8, Health Minister Bahram Einollahi described the Family Physician Program as the most important priority of the ministry for the next two years.

"This program is a basic measure which, in case of being properly formed, will solve many problems of the health system,” Einollahi said, IRNA reported.

He continued: “It is necessary to explain the results of this program in the international arena for the World Health Organization and its Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office.”

Einollahi referred to saving family expenses by reducing the costs of treatment and promoting the correct pattern of drug consumption as some of the most important goals to be achieved by the program.

Conducting health research programs in accordance with the Family Physician Program will be able to clarify why certain diseases, namely cancer, or why specific environmental health problems are more common in one region of the country than others, the minister explained.

By implementing the Family Physician Program, national decision-makers, and medical authorities will be provided with the information needed for effective health management, he pointed out.

“Therefore, in the next two years, we must take steps toward the implementation of the Family Physician Program.”

The Family Physician Program was started in 2005, which targeted almost 25,000,000 citizens residing in rural areas, and was piloted in two provinces of Fars and Mazandaran.

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.

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.

The implementation of the family physician program in urban areas began in June 2012 in Fars and Mazandaran provinces. Reducing out-of-pocket payments has been an important effect and benefit of the urban family physician program.

In April 2023, the family physician program started in 57 cities across the country.

The program aims to strengthen preventive measures and protect people's health with the participation of capable groups under the supervision of the country's health and treatment network.

The Family Physician Program, being implemented in cities with less than 20,000 people, has envisaged building 3,900 medical centers across the country.

On August 15, the second phase of the family physician program, aiming to provide easy and round-the-clock access to primary healthcare, started by offering the services to 32 more cities across the country.

As was said the family physician program has positive achievements for improving the health of society, and with timely diagnosis by doctors, the staggering costs of treatment can be reduced.

MT/ MG