On Wednesday, August 21, nurses across Iran marked the 19th day of protests in Tehran and various cities, including Mashhad, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Rasht, Kermanshah, Isfahan, Dehdasht, Jahrom, Abadan, Marivan, and others. These protests are driven by severe economic hardship, excessive work pressure, and unpaid wages.
In Tehran, nurses gathered outside the Ministry of Health. In Ahvaz, they protested in front of Jundishapur University; in Kermanshah, outside the University of Medical Sciences; and in Marivan, in front of Fajr Hospital. In Rasht, nurses conducted a protest march through the streets. Tabriz saw a gathering of emergency medical experts and nurses as well.
On Tuesday, August 20, protests continued in various cities, including hospitals in Mashhad, Neyshabur, Hamedan, Abadan, and Jahrom. In Mashhad, nurses from Shariati, Avicenna, Imam Reza, and Hashemi Nejad hospitals were joined by midwives. Suppressive forces blocked access to Imam Reza Hospital and stationed numerous agents at the protest site, but nurses managed to take alternative routes and faced attacks from these forces. Despite this, the nurses held their ground.
On Monday, August 19, nurses protested at 12 hospitals in Mashhad. Several pre-hospital emergency nurses from the University of Medical Sciences also joined the strike. In Arak, protests occurred at Amir al-Mu’minin, Vali Asr, Khansari, and Amir Kabir hospitals. The State Security Forces (SSF) of Arak attacked protesters at Amir Kabir Hospital, but the nurses resisted. The official IRNA news agency reported that two of the protesters were arrested and handed over to the Judiciary.
The nurses’ demands are reflected in the slogans they chant:
“Only in the streets can we secure our rights,” “Our power lies in our unity, the result of our hard work,” “Nurse, shout for your rights, cry out for your rights,” “All we’ve heard are promises, we’ve seen no results,” “Costs are in dollars, our wages are in rials,” “Enough promises, our tables are empty,” “We fought COVID, we received no support,” “From Shiraz to Mashhad, strike, strike,” “A nurse may die but will not accept humiliation,” “We don’t want promises, we want our rights,” “Reduce one embezzlement, and our rights will be paid,” “To change tomorrow, we must unite today,” “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together,” and “Don’t think it’s just for one day, our strike is every day.”
Nurses are struggling under mandatory overtime, 12-hour shifts, and extremely low wages, which have pushed many below the poverty line and deprived them of a basic standard of living. The regime is failing to honor agreements and contracts with nurses and is not implementing service pricing regulations.
Fereydoun Moradi, a member of the High Council of the Nursing System, reported that 150 to 200 nurses emigrate each month.
Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, Secretary-General of the Nursing House, stated last week: “In the 100-year history of modern nursing in the country, this is the first time a protest in the form of a ‘work stoppage’ has occurred. The worst job nurses do is drive for Snapp, which earns twice as much as nursing.” (The state-run Rouydad24.ir, August 14, 2024)
He also noted on August 19, “The Ministry of Health is part of the problem; the protesting nurses have bypassed nursing organizations. They don’t listen to us, the Nursing System, or the Nursing Deputy of the Ministry of Health. A group that is part of the problem cannot represent the nurses’ demands in the Supreme National Security Council.”
Abbas Abadi, Deputy Minister of Health, acknowledged, “We are facing serious challenges in the field of nursing, reaching the boiling point of crisis.” (The state-run Jamaran website, August 20, 2024)
Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, commended the hardworking and compassionate nurses, stating that their ongoing protests and resistance against suppressive forces reflect the widespread anger of the people, workers, and toilers against the regime. She emphasized that supporting the nurses who serve the Iranian people day and night is a national, moral, and human duty.
