Facing a Nursing Crisis in Iran: Low Wages, Mass Migration, and Government Suppression
In Iran, the nursing profession is facing a critical crisis, exacerbated by economic challenges and inadequate salaries. Many nurses are enduring severe living conditions, which include sleeping in their cars, working as online taxi drivers, or sharing cramped accommodations. Alarmingly, official data reveals that around 19 healthcare professionals, including nurses, doctors, and hospital technicians, leave Iran daily due to financial hardships.
The Iranian newspaper Ham Mihan reports that nurses in the country earn a maximum monthly salary of only 14 to 15 million tomans (approximately $200). With overtime pay barely amounting to 25,000 tomans per hour, their income is insufficient to meet basic living expenses. This situation has triggered a notable exodus from the nursing profession, both within Iran and internationally.
Housing Crisis and Forced Migration
Over the past year, skyrocketing rental prices—rising by at least 100% nationwide—have forced many nurses to give up their rented homes. As a result, they have resorted to:
- Sleeping in dormitories
- Sharing homes with multiple roommates
- Living in their vehicles
Mohammad Sharifi-Moghaddam, the Secretary General of the Iranian Nursing Home, has pointed out the dire shortage of nursing staff in hospitals. In an interview with Jam-e Jam newspaper, he remarked, “Even when hospitals advertise for nursing positions, no one applies because the salaries and benefits are extremely low, and the workload is overwhelming. We must first address the exodus of nurses before hiring new staff.”
Domestic Migration Worsens the Healthcare Crisis
In addition to international migration, another concerning trend is the movement of nurses from smaller cities to Tehran in search of better wages. This migration is leading to staffing shortages in regional hospitals, which impairs their capacity to admit patients and has resulted in the closure of hospital beds.
For instance, the Iranian Ministry of Health reported that 400 nurses from Gilan province migrated to Tehran in the past year alone. In Kermanshah, many nurses have left government hospitals to start private home nursing services. Additionally, numerous nurses have relocated to Tehran, where they rent shared apartments while working in private clinics and hospitals.
Meanwhile, a significant number of Iranian nurses are actively seeking job opportunities abroad. Many are moving to Persian Gulf countries, where salaries can reach hundreds of millions of tomans, or to Europe, where they can earn between 3,000 and 4,000 euros per month—vastly exceeding their earnings in Iran.
Harsh Working Conditions and Government Neglect
The dire financial landscape has compelled some nurses to use emergency centers as temporary shelters, juggling multiple shifts across different locations to make ends meet. Others find themselves sleeping in their cars between shifts before heading to their next job. Despite the pressing need for nursing staff in Tehran’s medical universities, recruitment efforts have largely failed. As Sharifi-Moghaddam explains, when universities advertise for 1,000 nursing positions, only 200 to 300 applicants show interest.
According to Sharifi-Moghaddam, the three primary issues afflicting Iranian nursing are:
- Unemployment
- Job changes
- Mass emigration
He stated, “We’ve been raising these concerns for years. How can a nurse survive on a salary of 14 to 15 million tomans? Nurses in Europe, Australia, and Canada earn thousands of euros, while in Iran, their income doesn’t even reach $200.”
Government Crackdown on Protesting Nurses
Instead of addressing the nursing crisis, Iranian authorities have responded with repression. Nurses who have participated in union protests demanding better wages and working conditions have faced threats, legal charges, and even job suspensions.
One notable instance involves Mohammad Reza Dara, a nurse at the Rahnemoon Hospital trauma center in Yazd. He was given a “disciplinary suspension” for two months after advocating for fair wages. This action came following a complaint from the former president of Yazd University of Medical Sciences, despite Dara’s 28 years of experience.
In December of last year, Hossein Salami, Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), dismissed claims of mass nurse migration as “lies, psychological warfare, and negative propaganda” from the regime’s adversaries. His statements starkly contradicted the statistics provided by the Ministry of Health, members of parliament, and hospital administrators.
These remarks appear to have intensified the government’s crackdown on protesting nurses, leading to an increase in legal cases, arrests, and job suspensions. Rather than tackling the root causes of the crisis, Iranian authorities seem to prioritize silencing dissent through security measures, further exacerbating the plight of nurses and the overall healthcare system.
Conclusion
The nursing profession in Iran stands on the brink of collapse. With inadequate salaries, harsh working conditions, and a government focused on repression rather than reform, many nurses feel they have no option but to leave the country. The ongoing exodus of healthcare workers threatens Iran’s fragile medical system, leaving millions of citizens vulnerable to substandard care. Without urgent policy changes, the situation is poised to deteriorate further, deepening the healthcare crisis for both medical professionals and patients alike.
