Medical graduates in fresh protest against delayed appointments in Sulaymaniyah

SULAYMANIYAH — Unappointed medical graduates staged a protest Tuesday outside the Directorate of Health in Sulaymaniyah, demanding long-delayed appointments from the Kurdistan Regional Government. This marks the second protest by the graduates in February as frustration mounts over what they are is the lack of clear timelines for job placements.

The protesters, who graduated in 2024, criticized the government’s silence on finalizing their appointments. “This isn’t our first stance,” said Rawa Qurbani, a representative of the protesting doctors, speaking to 964media. “We’ve been continuously active in recent months, but we still haven’t received any clear response on when or how we will be appointed. That’s why we gathered today, and we’ll continue protesting until the Ministry of Health addresses our demands.”

Qurbani warned that if their concerns remain unaddressed, the graduates might resort to “other civil actions” to escalate pressure on the government.

Another graduate emphasized the group’s determination. “We will persist in our demands and take any necessary action to achieve them,” the protester said. “We studied and trained to serve as doctors, but so far, our appointments have been completely ignored.”

Many of the graduates expressed concern over their future in the medical field if their appointments continue to be delayed. “We have no other opportunities in the medical sector because our training and skills are entirely focused on this specialization,” another protester explained.

Under current guidelines, general physicians are meant to spend their first two years rotating at various hospitals—both urban and rural—before advancing to higher residency for at least one year prior to pursuing specializations.