Instances of Conflict of Interest in Positions of Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education

This study investigates instances of conflict of interest in some job positions in Iran’s Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education. To do so, we interviewed people involved in the health field and reviewed the job descriptions. We have identified instances of conflict of interests in each position by adopting the prevailing definition of conflict of interests regarding the duties, authorities, and responsibilities. The results show that the main reasons for cases of conflict of interests and possible resulting corruption fall into three categories. First, the duties of positions are such that being a shareholder, CEO, and member of the board of directors of related private business corporations or institutions can cause a conflict of interests. The presence of stakeholders in the health governance system, such as doctors, is another source of conflict of interest. Finally, the conflict can occur due to structural defects such as supervisor and supervision integration or policy makers and performers.