Note: Definitions and concepts are explained at the end of this page.
- Physicians employed in the Ministry of Health, and medical education by field and type of speciality, 1370-1385 (1991-2006)
- Paramedics employed in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education by field and type of speciality: 1375-1385 (1996-2006)
- Health and treatment centers by geographical, legal and administrative status: 1370-1385 (1991-2006)
- Number of contagious disease cases diagnosed in medical diagnosis laboratories: 1370-1385 (1991-2006)
- Employed population in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education by occupation group: 1370-1385 (1991-2006)
Definitions and Concepts
•Physician: persons who have completed their medical education in one of the universities within the country or abroad, and received their MD degrees approved by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Statistics for physicians also include dentists, veterinarians, and pharmacists. Because of the diversified fields of medical specialities, data related to some specialities have been included under certain general titles in Table 2. Specialities included in each title are as follows:
•Internal: specialists in internal medicine, oncology, hematology, rheumatology, diseases of the pulmonary system, endocrinology, and diseases of the digestive system.
•Pediatrics: orthopedics, nervous system, children’s allergy, surgery, blood, infections, glands, heart, kidneys, digestive system, and neonatal diseases.
•Neuropsychiatry: nervous disorders and psychiatry.
•Urology: urology, kidney disorders, surgery of kidney and genitourinary tract.
•Orthopedics: orthopedics and bone and joints surgery.
•Radiology: radiology and sonography.
•Dentistry: orthodontics, endodontics, oral and dental pathology, maxillofacial diseases, maxillofacial pathology, prosthodontics, periodontics, oral maxillofacial surgery, tooth treatment, children’s tooth disorders.
•Pharmacy:drug-making, industrial drug-making, pharmacology, pharmaceutics, pharmacognosy. In the tables containing data on specialists of cardiovascular disorders, brain and nerves, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, and gynecology, the related surgery specialists are also included.
•Paramedics: non-physicians engaged in the areas of health and treatment.
•Health attendant (health aid): a native resident of the village, who has at least completed primary school, and has passed the related two year theoretical and practical health training course.
•Medical establishments: all medical centres including hospitals, maternity hospitals and sanatoriums equipped with medical beds.
•Medical establishments may be classified in three categories:
– Medical establishments affiliated to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education;
– Private medical establishments;
– Other medical establishments such as those affiliated to the Social Security Organization, charity institutions, Martyr Foundation, Bank Melli, etc.
•Hospital: a unit with at least 15 beds, medical equipment and facilities, required general medical services, as well as two internal and surgical wards operated by a group of specialists.
•Maternity hospital: a unit with at least 15 beds, one obstetrician as well as one operating room.
•Sanatorium: a unit with at least 15 beds, general necessary facilities and services as well as one specialized ward, operated by a group of specialists in related fields including mental homes, leper houses, homes for tuberculous people, for addicts, etc.
•Health care and medical centres: clinics, polyclinics and health centres. Health centres generally render vaccination services beside medical services.
•Independent health and medical centres: those with an independent management, accounting and workplace.
•Dependent health and medical centres: the medical centres which are located either inside or next to medical establishments, have not an independent management, accounting and workplace, and are dependent on the main establishment for workers and credits.
•Health home: the first unit offering primary health and medical services under the national health and treatment network. Health homes are located in villages and provide services to one or more nearby villages with a total population of 1500, depending on geographical characteristics, communication facilities and population distribution. Workers of health homes are composed of male and female health attendants and health aids.
•Medical diagnosis laboratory: refers to a medical unit established by permission from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, which carries out tests of biology microbiology, serology, biochemistry, immunohematology, hematology, biophysics, cellology, histology, cellular and molecular genetics among others on samples taken form human body to obtain information for diagnosis, prevention or treatment continuation or for a health checkup. It includes two types: clinical and anatomical.
•Anatomical medical diagnosis laboratory: a medical diagnosis laboratory which conducts tests of cellology and histology on samples taken from human body (alive or dead). It may use different methods to conduct the tests.
•Clinical medical diagnosis laboratory: a medical diagnosis laboratory with one or all sections of medical diagnosis except for the sections concerning anatomical diagnosis.
•Rehabilitation centres: all medical units carrying out only physical treatment. These centres include physiotherapy, work therapy, speech therapy, audiometry, optometry and technical orthopedics. There are two forms of rehabilitation centres, independent and dependent. The rehabilitation centres located in a hospital or a clinic are ˝dependent˝, but those working independently of any other centre are called ˝independent˝. Statistics on this area have appeared in Iran Statistical Yearbook since 1376.
•Radiography centres: diagnosis and treatment of diseases through application of rays by specialists in radiography, radiography technicians, as well as experimental radiographers holding a work license from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education. In this chapter, radiography centre refers to a place for radiology tests and providing radiography services, the qualification of which is confirmed by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education.