Salman Es’haghi, spokesperson for the Health Committee of the mullahs’ Parliament in Iran, reported that last year, 1,590 nurses resigned from their jobs. This number indicates that resignations are significantly outpacing the migration of nurses abroad. The rate of resignations among nurses is estimated to be two to three times higher than the rate of emigration.
Thousands migrate despite severe nurse shortages
Es’haghi stated that on Sunday, September 29, 2024, the parliamentary Health and Treatment Committee heard the officials of the Nursing System Organization. According to their report, as shared by the organization’s president, around 2,000 nurses apply to leave the country each year, and currently, 2,000 Iranian nurses are working in Denmark. With only 300,000 nurses, Iran faces a severe shortage in this critical field.
Officials had previously announced that 3,000 nurses leave the country every year.
The president of the Nursing System Organization also highlighted that in some provinces, there is only one nurse for every 8 to 9 newborns. If the government continues to neglect this issue, the nursing shortage will escalate into a full-blown crisis, he said.
Violations of the law
Es’haghi acknowledged that forcing nurses to work overtime is a violation of the ruling by the Administrative Justice Court. He further explained that officials are calling for an increase in overtime pay, the issuance of permits to hire and recruit more nurses, and the regularization of contract nurses, particularly those on short-term contracts of 89 days or less.
Despite the urgent need for additional nursing staff, many of the nurses who worked tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic under temporary contracts have not been offered permanent positions. According to labor regulations, those in difficult and hazardous jobs, such as nursing, are entitled to retirement benefits after 25 years of service. Unfortunately, nurses have yet to benefit from these legal protections.
No salary increases for nurses
Additionally, while the parliament has passed salary adjustments for public employees, these increases have not been applied to the nursing sector.
Es’haghi noted that in today’s meeting, it was revealed that 1,590 nurses resigned in 2023, with resignations and job departures occurring two to three times more frequently than migrations.
Nurses are considered the backbone of the healthcare system, and in Iran, 70% of them are women. Dozens of nurses have tragically lost their lives due to excessive overtime, work pressure, and extreme fatigue.
Harsh working conditions, low wages, and mandatory overtime have prompted nurses to stage protests across the country over the past few months.
The government’s inaction in addressing nurses’ demands, along with the exploitation of nurses through privatization and temporary contracts that lack essential benefits like insurance, has led to a sharp increase in the emigration of nurses from Iran.
