Hundreds of doctors in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG) staged a demonstration on June 3, 2025, in front of the Council of Ministers’ office in Erbil and other cities, protesting the government’s failure to employ newly graduated doctors, delayed salaries for public sector doctors, and the Health Ministry’s refusal to facilitate professional progression despite doctors fulfilling all necessary requirements. This protest sheds light on a growing crisis that threatens both the region’s healthcare system and the future of its medical workforce. It is also yet another example of the growing dissatisfaction of the medical profession with current government policies, not only in Iraq and Kurdistan but in many other settings around the world. The unemployment crisis in the KRG also has implications for global migration of healthcare workers exacerbating already severe inequalities of human resources for health across the world.
According to an unpublished survey (known to the author), 627 doctors who graduated in 2024 remain unemployed in the government sector. The majority are either without work or forced into non-medical jobs, while many are considering leaving the country in search of employment abroad. The mental health impact on these doctors is severe, with widespread reports of anxiety, depression, and frustration over their uncertain futures.
This issue is part of a broader trend of austerity and public sector downsizing by the KRG, a policy that has intensified since 2014 due to financial strain from the ISIS conflict, falling oil prices, and ongoing disputes with the Iraqi federal government over budget allocations and oil revenue sharing. The KRG insists that Baghdad is constitutionally obligated to pay civil servant salaries, while the federal government accuses the KRG of financial mismanagement and corruption, leading to a prolonged deadlock that has left thousands of workers, including doctors, without stable incomes.
The failure to employ doctors comes at a time when the KRG’s healthcare system is already under immense pressure. The region faces multiple health challenges, including rising rates of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease, injuries from traffic accidents and past conflicts, infectious disease outbreaks such as cholera, haemorrhagic fever and the worsening effects of the climate emergency, including extreme heat and dust storms. Compounding these problems is the sharp decline in international aid, particularly from the United States, which has historically supported health programs in the region. This reduction in funding has further limited job opportunities in the non-profit sector, leaving many doctors with no viable employment options.
The unemployment crisis is also accelerating the exodus of Iraqi doctors to high-income countries, where demand for medical professionals remains high. Countries like the UK, Germany, and Canada have seen a surge in applications from foreign-trained doctors, including Iraqis, creating competition with local graduates and raising ethical questions about the global recruitment of healthcare workers from struggling regions. While this migration helps fill workforce gaps in wealthier nations, it deepens inequalities in global health by depriving countries like Iraq of much-needed medical expertise.
Global health discussions often focus on cuts to international aid, but the damaging effects of domestic austerity policies—often influenced by neoliberal economic ideologies—deserve equal attention. The KRG must take urgent steps to address this crisis, including reversing the freeze on doctor employment, ensuring timely salary payments, and increasing health sector funding through measures such as tobacco taxes or earmarked oil revenues. Without immediate action, the region risks a total collapse of its healthcare system, leaving its population vulnerable to health emergencies and further destabilizing an already fragile situation.
The situation in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq serves as a warning of what happens when governments neglect their healthcare workforce. If another pandemic or major health crisis strikes, the consequences could be catastrophic. The time to act is now—before it’s too late.