Reza Aryanpour, a member of the regime’s Majlis (parliament) Health and Treatment Commission, highlighted the growing trend of nurses migrating. He stated that nurses working for online ride-hailing services earn around 400 million rials (approximately $652), while those in their regular nursing positions receive between 150 and 200 million rials (approximately $245-326).
In an interview with the regime’s Young Journalists Club (YJC), affiliated with the state TV broadcasting (IRIB), Reza Aryanpour emphasized that nurses “do not migrate out of happiness, however economic issues being the primary factor.”
According to this member of Majlis (parliament), all hospitals in the country are currently experiencing a shortage of doctors and nurses. The Ministry of Health and Social Security is prepared to attract 100,000 nurses to address this shortage.
Heavy workloads, low wages, delayed payments, inflation, and work environment issues are among the problems faced by medical staff, as highlighted by Aryanpour.
Previously, a member of the Iranian Nursing Organization stated that nurses’ incomes “do not sustain their livelihoods, forcing them to take on multiple jobs.”
According to the regime’s Mehr News Agency, Azam Fakhri Mahmoodi announced on February 14, that nurses’ overtime pay was 150,000 rials (approximately $0.24) per hour. She emphasized that educated nurses receive significantly lower overtime compensation in comparison to those with only primary education.
During a meeting on March 3, 2024, between members of the Nursing Organization and Bahram Eynollahi, the regime’s Minister of Health and Medical Education, issues regarding the treatment and education of nurses under the government of Ebrahim Raisi were discussed, but no positive outcome was reached.
Current events and livelihood problems have exacerbated the migration of nurses. The second vice-president of the Nursing Organization suggested in January 2024 that improving nurses’ livelihoods is crucial for retaining medical staff.
In this regard on March 12, Abolghasem Aboutalebi, a member of the Nursing Organization of Iran, described the situation of nurse migration from the country as being “on the verge of crisis.” He called for a solution to address this issue.
According to Aboutalebi, while approximately 10,000 nursing staff are trained annually in the country, nearly 3,000 nurses migrated in 2022.
The state-run IRNA news agency reported on December 11, 2023, under the title “Nurses Migrate, Officials Observe,” quoting Nurse House Secretary General Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, who highlighted the consequences of the nurse shortage in the country resulting in the death of patients.
Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, secretary general of the Nursing House, also expressed the dissatisfaction of over 90% of nurses in Iran, citing livelihood problems, income disparities, discrimination among medical staff, inadequate implementation of tariff legislation, lack of employment opportunities, compulsory overtime with minimal compensation, and burnout.
Sharifi Moghaddam explained the income gap among medical staff, stating that the average salary of a newly hired nurse is 9 million tomans, which is insufficient to cover living expenses, while a specialist doctor in the public sector earns over 1.4 billion rials (approximately $2,284) per month.
Nurses are among the groups that have recently expressed dissatisfaction with their jobs and livelihoods to the regime’s authorities through mass protests, demanding the addressing of their grievances.
Reports indicate that these protests have been met with punitive measures by regime officials, such as imposing six-month suspensions from service for nurses who take part in protests.
While the wave of emigration from Iran is not limited to nurses and includes various groups such as students, workers, doctors, and specialists, experts have warned about the consequences of the country’s labor force leaving.
