Alarm for Healthcare Staff; 16 Medical Assistants Commit Suicide in 10 Months

A Tehran-based newspaper, in its issue on Wednesday, January 17, has once again addressed the rising issue of "suicide" among healthcare staff, reporting that 16 medical assistants have committed suicide in the past 10 months. The newspaper "Etemad" published this news citing Babak Shekari, the educational and research deputy of the Medical Council Organization, noting that three of these cases occurred just last week. The report emphasizes that since October of this year, approximately 14 cases of "premature death" and at least "suspected suicides" have occurred among residents or doctors undergoing their internship. The "Etemad" report refers to a study on the health status of residents, stating that "23% of medical assistants have experienced severe to very severe depression." Accordingly, it has been reported that about 25% of individuals have "severe to very severe anxiety" and nearly 34% of them have experienced "severe to very severe stress." With the increase in suicide rates among healthcare staff, a special task force was convened on January 10, including the head of the Medical Council, a representative from the Ministry of Health, the president of the Iranian Psychiatric Association, and several experts. During this meeting, it was noted that an assessment of the mental health of 253 medical residents indicates that the suicide rate in the resident population is 3.1 to 5 times higher than in other groups. The Iranian Psychiatric Association has also sent a letter to the President requesting the formation of a committee of specialists with the "necessary authority" for "immediate intervention" in this matter. This association has sent two letters to the Ministry of Health in the past four months, both of which have gone unanswered. Some civil activists on social media have highlighted the Ministry of Health's lack of attention to this issue alongside its "special" emphasis on addressing the "improper hijab" of healthcare personnel. The rising suicide rates among healthcare staff in Iran, especially residents, have become newsworthy in recent years, particularly following the additional pressures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of social crises such as "child abuse" and "acute family disputes" continues to top calls to social emergency services. The increase in deaths due to the consumption of "rice pills" in Kermanshah province, the special task force meeting; the suicide rate in the resident population is up to 5 times higher than in other groups, and the warning from the Psychiatric Association to Raisi: the collapse of the healthcare system due to the resident suicide crisis. The consequences of poverty in border cities; the prevalence of youth suicide in Ilam province, and the suicide of workers in Iran; an economist states this is the most acute form of protest against the chaos.