Family Physician Program, main priority for next 2 years: minister

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
TEHRAN- Health Minister Bahram Einollahi has described the Family Physician Program as the most important priority of the ministry for 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
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 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 also 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