Summary:

In early March 2024, Nizar Ladhari, Secretary General of the National Council of the Order of Physicians of Tunisia raised concerns about the number of doctors leaving Tunisia and the potential impact of new policies that would impact medical training opportunities.  

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During an interview with Mosaique FM, Ladhari indicated that over 1300 doctors left Tunisia in 2023, noting that this is nearly as high as the number of doctors trained annually in Tunisia. He asserted that within 10 years Tunisia could have few remaining doctors, with the younger generation almost unanimously seeking to depart the country leaving primarily older doctors nearing the end of their working years.  

Ladhari’s statements have sparked multiple additional reports from media outlets on the issue of doctors leaving Tunisia and increased scrutiny on the committee-level debate in Parliament over a law that would force newly trained doctors to serve in hospitals in under-resourced regions in Tunisia. Some argue that service in these areas of the country, where working and living conditions can be quite poor, is already driving doctors overseas. 

Meanwhile, foreign governments continue to recruit Tunisian doctors to live and work abroad, with France, Germany, and the Gulf countries attracting many.  

Outlook: 

Tunisia has long punched above its weight in medical education and services, however, as the country continues to struggle with economic and social stability, young doctors are seeing fewer reasons to stay. Ultimately, analysts assess that the departure of young doctors may reveal the cumulative impact of decades of policy missteps, corruption, and misaligned incentives, not just in the Tunisian healthcare system, but in the broader economic and social policy environment. 

While high-end clinics that cater to wealthier Tunisians and medical tourists provide consistently high-quality treatment, the country’s public hospitals have struggled. As Tunisia works to adapt its policies to either demand or incentivize service in under-resourced hospitals, young doctors are only more motivated to seek specialized training and employment elsewhere. 

Without major adaptations, Tunisia will continue to train doctors for Europe while its healthcare system is strained by limited nationalized resources and few doctors willing to tolerate using them. 

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