Iran’s healthcare system faces a critical challenge: the mass migration of nurses. This phenomenon is driven not by leisure, as a member of the Iranian parliament’s health commission recently stated, but by harsh economic realities.
Reza Arianpour, speaking with the Young Journalists Club (YJC), highlighted the stark financial disparity between nursing and alternative work options. Nurses typically earn between 15 and 20 million tomans ($375-$500) per month, while some digital taxi drivers can make as much as 40 million tomans ($1000). This significant income gap is a major driver of nurse migration.
This shortage extends beyond nurses. Iranian hospitals are currently understaffed with both doctors and nurses, prompting the Ministries of Health and Welfare and Social Security to announce plans to recruit an additional 100,000 nurses. However, the root causes of the exodus must be addressed if this goal is to be achieved.
Iranian medical professionals face a multitude of challenges, including heavy workloads, low salaries, delayed payments, inflation, and limited union representation. Azam Fakhri Mahmoudi, a member of the Supreme Council of the Nursing System, stated in February that nurses’ salaries are insufficient to meet their basic needs, often forcing them to take on multiple jobs.
The report by Mehr news agency further emphasized this point, revealing that nurses’ overtime pay is a mere 15,000 tomans ($0.25) per hour. This amount falls far below what someone with even a basic education might earn, highlighting the undervalued position of nurses within the system.
Iran’s economic crisis and the resulting financial hardship have exacerbated the problem. As Mohammad Taghi Jahanpour, the second vice president of the Supreme Council of the Nursing System, noted in December 2023, improving nurses’ livelihoods is crucial to preventing further staff flight.
Official figures paint a concerning picture. While Iran trains roughly 10,000 nurses annually, nearly 3,000 emigrated in 2022 alone. This trend is pushing the issue towards a crisis point, as some officials within the Iranian government have acknowledged.
A survey revealed an alarming level of dissatisfaction among nurses: over 90% reported issues concerning their livelihood, income disparity within the medical sector, the lack of proper implementation of labor laws, job insecurity, and forced overtime with minimal compensation, ultimately leading to burnout.
These issues have manifested in public protests by nurses in recent months. They demand better working conditions and salaries that reflect their vital role in the healthcare system. However, reports indicate that these protests have been met with punitive measures, including dismissals from service for a period of six months.
The exodus of Iranian nurses is not an isolated phenomenon. A broader wave of emigration encompasses students, workers, doctors, and specialists. Experts warn of the consequences if this trend continues unchecked.
