300% Increase in Migration of Nurses in Farvardin

The Director of International Affairs of the Nursing Organization of Iran announced a 300% increase in the migration of Iranian nurses abroad in Farvardin 1395 (April 2016). The Nursing Organization's information website reported this on Wednesday, April 25, citing Ebrahim Mohammadi, who stated that in the first 25 days of the new year, 30 nurses have applied to leave Iran. Mr. Mohammadi added that these nurses have approached the Nursing Organization for work abroad, while only seven nurses sought to emigrate in Farvardin 1394 (April 2015). He noted, 'The number of applicants in Farvardin 1395 indicates that the migration of Iranian nurses for work abroad has increased by more than 300%, which is an undesirable trend.' This official cited 'discrimination in health system payments' and 'inadequate compensation for excessive work' as the main reasons for nurses' migration from Iran. Canada, Australia, and Gulf countries have been identified as the primary destinations for Iranian nurses. Nurses in Iran have long been dissatisfied with their professional and legal status, and the implementation of the third phase of the 'Health Transformation Plan' has further fueled their protests. Since the implementation of this plan, according to Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, the Secretary-General of the Nurses' House, nurses have held over 50 protest gatherings. The number of nurses in Iran is reported to be around 150,000, with Mr. Sharifi Moghaddam stating that only 'three percent' of them are satisfied with their jobs. This official had also announced last December that about a thousand nurses emigrate from Iran annually, with 'job insecurity' being one of the reasons. Last year, Hamidreza Azizi, a member of the Health and Treatment Commission of the Parliament, reported an increase in the migration of nurses, stating that 'the main reason for the departure of nurses is their low wages.'