Medical graduates in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah seek ‘overdue’ appointments

ERBIL/SULAYMANIYAH — Medical graduates in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah are urging the Kurdistan Regional Government to finalize their long-delayed appointments, saying a lack of clear timelines has left 778 newly qualified doctors in limbo.

Traditionally, fresh graduates begin their posts in January following a July graduation. However, no appointment schedule has been released for the class of 2024, prompting frustration among those awaiting confirmation.

“Every year, general physicians are appointed in January after graduation [in July], but we have been left waiting without any timeline for our placements,” said Avaan Nawzad, a medical graduate who spoke with 964media.

Another graduate, Bilind Dilshad, underscored how delays disrupt the broader medical hierarchy in the Kurdistan Region: “The medical system here is hierarchical. For senior doctors to advance, new doctors must be appointed and take their positions. Otherwise, vacancies remain unfilled. That’s why we need to be placed.”

Under current guidelines, general physicians spend their first two years as doctors in rotation at various hospitals—both in cities and rural areas. They then advance to a higher residency for at least one year before pursuing specializations.

The unappointed doctors issued a statement on Jan. 21, demanding their immediate appointments and threatening to protest if no action was taken. Two days later, Health Ministry spokesperson Sarkar Surchi appeared to confirm that placements would proceed, according to multiple graduates who saw an announcement on the ministry’s Facebook page. This statement was also reported by local media. However, the post was later removed.

“We issued a statement on Jan. 21 outlining our demands,” said Shko Sherko, a representative of the unappointed doctors. “Two days later, Health Ministry spokesperson Sarkar Surchi announced that the 2024 graduates would be placed and that the process was underway. The statement was published on the ministry’s Facebook page and reported by the media, but it was later removed, and we don’t know the reason.”

Sherko noted that while officials have given “verbal promises,” none have been implemented. Attempts by 964media to reach Surchi for comment went unanswered.

On Jan. 21, 2025, the affected graduates threatened protests and public gatherings if authorities did not provide a clear plan. “It has been seven months since our graduation, yet there has been no decision or directive regarding our placement,” read their statement.

“This situation doesn’t just affect us; it also impacts already-appointed doctors who are waiting for us to enter the system so they can advance and specialize,” said recent graduate Jinan Yousif. “We are 2024 graduates, and we should have already started working in hospitals by now. Our demand is simple—our rightful and basic appointment.”

In Sulaymaniyah, 2024 graduates voiced similar concerns. “We were given informal assurances last November that we would be placed, and it was supposed to happen by now. But there’s still no clear decision,” said Zhila Osman, a representative of the unappointed doctors in Sulaymaniyah.

Osman warned that continued delays could trigger further problems for future classes, noting that 288 graduates in Sulaymaniyah alone remain unappointed. “There has always been an appointment process for general physicians every year, but we don’t understand why this year is different,” she said.