32-Year-Old Nurse Ends His Life; Healthcare Staff at Suicide Station

News sources reported the voluntary death of a 32-year-old nurse named "Sasan" at Khomeini Hospital in Kermanshah. The ILNA news agency reported that this incident occurred on Sunday, April 8, and the nurse died in the same hospital, in one of the beds of the section where he worked. ILNA quoted friends and colleagues of the nurse stating that "Sasan ended his life due to mental pressures following the non-renewal of his contract." Mohammad Sharifi-Moghadam, Secretary-General of the Nurses' House, confirmed this news to ILNA, stating that Sasan was a contractual nurse, but his contract was not renewed several months ago, leading to a period of unemployment before he took his own life. According to Sharifi-Moghadam, the rate of suicidal tendencies has increased, and the number of young nurse fatalities in the year 1402 (2023) was high. The suicides of nurses and doctors have made headlines this year, especially during the Nowruz holidays when the suicide of Dr. Parastoo Bakhshi, a 35-year-old heart specialist at Ibn Sina Hospital in Delfan County, sparked widespread reactions from the medical community inside and outside Iran, prompting responses from several health officials of the Islamic Republic. The issue of rising suicide rates among healthcare staff in Iran, particularly residents, has been reported multiple times in the media over the past few years, especially after the additional pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The newspaper "Etemad" reported on January 16 of last year, quoting Babak Shekarchi, Deputy for Education and Research at the Medical Council, that within 10 months of that year, 16 medical residents had committed suicide. Last January, the Iranian Scientific Association of Psychiatrists sent a letter to Ebrahim Raisi, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, reporting high suicide rates among residents and deeming the continuation of this trend as a precursor to the "collapse of the country's health system." The authors of this letter suggested that to prevent the collapse of the health system, job security, economic stability, and the professional status of young doctors should be addressed. Reports indicate that this association sent two letters to the Ministry of Health, which were met with indifference from the ministry. Some civil activists on social media have highlighted the Ministry of Health's negligence regarding this issue alongside its "special" emphasis on addressing the "improper hijab" of healthcare personnel. Vahid Shari'at, President of the Iranian Scientific Association of Psychiatrists, stated in an interview with the state news agency IRNA that the Ministry of Health has more accurate statistics on the suicides of medical residents that it does not disclose, adding, "A significant issue is that whenever a problem arises, the statistics are classified or quickly denied before any action is taken." The Medical Association of Tehran University recently conducted a study showing that in a community of 204 residents, over 93% of them, or 188 individuals, experienced "burnout" and contemplated suicide. Concerns about the rising suicide rates among children and adolescents in Iran were discussed with Laleh Mehrad, CEO of the Autism Association of Iran, who mentioned an increase in suicidal thoughts among families with autistic children. The reactions to the suicide of Parastoo Bakhshi continue; Dr. Basirnia stated that healthcare staff in previous years had no opportunity to relieve psychological pressure. The Ministry of Health claims that the cause of Parastoo Bakhshi's death is still unclear, asserting that they had full cooperation with her. The Secretary-General of the Medical Society stated that pressures on young doctors, contractual staff, and residents have reached a warning threshold. The response of the country's medical system to Parastoo Bakhshi's suicide includes the formation of a "fact-finding committee" and a request for accountability from those responsible.