A homeless doctor has said the housing crisis is preventing medics from moving to Ireland to work for the HSE. 

Dr Ali Raza Ansari is a trainee GP, based in the Midlands, who is currently sleeping in his car along with boxes of his possessions. 

The HSE relies on overseas workers; in 2022, some 1,800 nurses were recruited from abroad - but Dr Ansari feels many more would come if it were not for the housing crisis. 

“If the accommodation crisis remains the same, I don’t think that will make the country attractive enough to welcome international doctors,” he told The Hard Shoulder. 

“I know many of my friends who have secured… a job here in Ireland but they can’t come here because they can’t find accommodation.” 

Although he says rent in Ireland is “unbelievably high”, Dr Ansari is not homeless because of a lack of money, his issue is simply the lack of accommodation in the Midlands. 

“The problem is, I look on Daft.ie and I probably emailed hundreds of people,” he said. 

“I try in get in touch with every ad that’s up there and probably 80% of my emails are the automatic replies from Daft that I’ve sent in the last couple of months. 

“Out of every 50 emails that I send, I probably get replies from two or three people.”

***Homeless Once Again***
Accomodation crisis!!! will someone please think about it ? My 4th relocation in 3rd year as a "NCHD DOCTOR", everytime i have to pack everything and carry it to next place, which is again now for 4 months only. 100s of other Doctors are facing the same.… pic.twitter.com/x2nWrZxc8M

— Dr. Ali Raza Ansari (@DrAliRaza111) July 9, 2023

Despite all his efforts, he has had only one offer of accommodation and he felt unable to take it because it required him to sign a year long lease - something he felt unable to do because his contract is due to expire in four months’ time. 

In May, there were 12,441 registered homeless people - the highest number in the history of the State.

Main image: Dr Ali Raza Ansari