Immigration of nurses is “no longer a problem but teetering on the brink of a crisis,” said Abol Qassem Talebi, a Supreme Council of Medical Organization member.
In an interview with Radio Salamat, Talebi said while the world average is three nurses per hospital bed, this average in Iran is less than one-third of the world standard. (March 11, 2024)
Currently, there are 240,000 nurses in Iran. Talebli said that even if they recruit the same number of nurses, Iran will still lag the world standard.
He said nearly 3,000 nurses emigrate from Iran every year.
While confirming the number of nurses emigrating from Iran, the Nursing Organization’s general director said that 6,000 nurses are retired yearly. (The state-run Tasnim news agency, March 3, 2024)
Mohammad Taghi Jahanpour said livelihood problems and lack of employment have led to the immigration of nurses, adding that the lack of desirable services to nurses has undermined the quality of nursing care and increased death among patients.
Nurses have staged various protests over the past years, but government authorities have not heeded their demands.
In December, the former head of the Nursing Organization, Mohammad Mirza Beigi, declared that “nearly 10,000 of the best nurses of Iran” had emigrated. (The state-run Mehr news agency, December 22, 2023)
