Ahmad Nejatian, the head of the Iranian regime’s Nursing Organization, warned about the “critical” nurse shortage in Iran, stating that some hospital departments have been shut down as a result.
On Tuesday, January 28, Nejatian stated that the closure of certain hospital departments due to the nursing shortage is “harming people.” He added, “Patients need services, the infrastructure and facilities are in place, but staffing remains a major issue.”
He described the nurse shortage as a nationwide issue affecting all provinces but emphasized that Tehran, due to its high concentration of hospitals and the reluctance of nurses to stay in the capital because of difficult living conditions, is facing a more severe shortage.
Each Year, 1,500 Nurses Leave Their Jobs, 500 Emigrate from Iran
About two months ago, Nejatian had also stressed the need to hire 10,500 nurses and 5,000 emergency medical personnel, stating that these recruitments should take place within the current year.
According to official reports, approximately 220,000 nurses are currently working in public and private hospitals across Iran.
Nejatian pointed out that globally, the average ratio is three nurses per 1,000 people. He stated that statistics indicate Iran is facing a “serious crisis” in both recruiting and retaining nurses.
Mohammad Sharifi-Moghaddam, the Secretary-General of the Nursing House, also highlighted on October 27, 2024, that there are 50,000 unemployed nurses in the country. He remarked that without proper infrastructure, “hiring will be like pouring water into a sieve.”
In his latest remarks, Nejatian referred to “nurse protests and the closure of certain hospital departments in other provinces” in recent months, attributing them to the challenging working conditions and long-overdue payments.
Over the past few years, nurses and healthcare workers in Iran have repeatedly held protests, sit-ins, and strikes in response to the government’s failure to address their demands.
In one of the most recent examples, nurses in various cities across the country went on strike and held protests in approximately 50 cities and 70 hospitals starting on August 5, lasting for more than a month.
