A state-run newspaper in Tehran, Shargh , quoted Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, secretary-general of the Nursing House, on February 29th. He stated that according to the World Health Organization, there should be at least three nurses per 1,000 people, but Iran falls short with only 1.6 nurses.
Shargh further highlighted the hardships faced by Iranian nurses. Their salaries, according to Mohammad Taghi Jahanpour, head of the nursing system organization, are not commensurate with the demands of their profession. He added, “We’ve reached a point where nurses are unwilling to work even an hour of overtime.”
Loqman Sharifi, a member of the Supreme Council of the Nursing System, believes that expecting nurses to work in major cities and metropolises with salaries between 10 and 13 million Tomans is unreasonable.
Shargh reported that these issues have led to nurse gatherings and sit-ins across various Iranian cities. A group of nurses from Tehran’s Shohadayeh Tajrish Hospital, for instance, shared their problems with the newspaper in August 2023.
Lack of manpower, long shifts, and mandatory overtime were just some of the concerns raised by the nurses, highlighting the impact on both their well-being and patient care. Shargh stated that nurses are compensated between 13,000 and 20,000 Tomans per overtime hour.
Iran is grappling with a nurse shortage, according to union officials and media reports. Mohammad Mirzabeigi, head of Iran’s nursing system organization, announced on January 14th that over 10,000 nurses have emigrated.
Medical staff in Iran face numerous challenges, including uncertain employment contracts, delayed salary and benefit payments, and unequal service tariffs. Additionally, they encounter security and health risks, such as physical assaults from patient companions and potential exposure to infectious diseases, like during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nurses and medical staff in Iran have staged numerous protest rallies in recent years across various cities, demanding improvements to their working conditions and addressing their concerns.
