Analysis of the Allocation of Hospital Beds in the Iranian Health System in ۲۰۱۵Analysis of the Allocation of Hospital Beds in the Iranian Health System in ۲۰۱۵

Iran's healthcare system underwent significant transformations prior to and following the ۱۹۷۹ Revolution. Prior to ۱۹۷۹, the system was relatively underdeveloped, characterized by a limited number of medical schools and physicians, which contributed to substantial rural healthcare challenges and brain drain. The ۱۹۷۹ Revolution led to major reforms, including the establishment of new universities and deployment of community health workers (Behvarz). Despite improvements in health outcomes, disparities in access and high care costs persist. This study conducted a comprehensive literature review using databases such as Google Scholar and Scopus, and analyzed data from the Statistical Center of Iran to examine hospital types and bed distribution. Descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation analysis were performed using SPSS version ۲۲. In ۲۰۱۵, Iran had ۱۱۶,۵۱۱ active hospital beds, with ۱۲.۵% allocated to mental health services and ۵.۶۸% to intensive care units (ICUs). Tehran accounted for ۲۳.۵۹% of the national total, while provinces like South Khorasan faced insufficient hospital beds. The distribution of mental health services was uneven across provinces, with Markazi Province being an outlier. The private sector played a limited role in mental health service provision. Notably, North Khorasan had the lowest ICU bed density (۳.۳۷%), and Markazi Province had ۷۸.۴۵% of its beds concentrated in a few areas, while Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad had only ۱۰۷ beds (۱۷.۲۸% of the provincial total). University-affiliated institutions operated ۶۲.۵% of hospitals and provided ۶۹.۴% of total hospital beds. The findings highlight substantial geographic and sectoral disparities in Iran's hospital resources, underscoring the need for strategic resource allocation and coherent health policy interventions to address inequities. Policies are needed to ensure equitable healthcare resource allocation and strengthen the private sector's role where appropriate.

کلیدواژه ها:

Iran ، Healthcare system ، hospital beds