Doctors leaving 12 tertiary hospitals in Iraq, 2004-2007

Violent event rates associated with the migration of doctors were estimated as: threats 30/1000 doctors; kidnappings 6.7/1000; violent deaths 16.5/1000, and any violent event 36.7/1000. Specialists who left Baghdad were 2.5 times more likely to experience a violent event than doctors elsewhere. Specialists departing teaching hospitals were 2.3 times more likely to experience a violent event than those in general hospitals. Of specialists leaving hospital posts for which data were available, 39% went elsewhere in Iraq and 61% left the country. These findings suggest a major loss of human capital from Iraq's hospital sector, a loss that is likely to require some years to fully replace.