HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Zeighami, B Articles by Ronaghy, H Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Zeighami, B Articles by Ronaghy, H

Physician importation--a solution to developing countries' rural health care problems?

B Zeighami, E Zeighami, J Mehrabanpour, I Javidian and H Ronaghy

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.