On Sunday morning, about 700 nurses working in public and private hospitals in Iran gathered in front of the Presidential Office to protest the income disparity between nurses and doctors, as well as the government's delay in pricing nursing services. According to the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA) on Sunday, December 23, the nurses not only raised their longstanding demand for the implementation of the nursing service pricing law but also called attention to the shortage of nursing staff in hospitals and various nursing departments. As reported by ILNA, nurses who traveled from provinces such as Tehran, Isfahan, Mazandaran, and Gilan claimed that more nurses intended to attend the protest, but many were dissuaded from participating after a government agency contacted their hospitals. Previously, Hossein Azin, spokesperson for the Iranian Parliament's Article 90 Commission, stated that the nurses' gathering disrupts public order and that they should not fall for 'some unverified information' regarding a 200-fold income disparity between nurses and doctors. He mentioned that the pursuit of nursing demands, including the implementation of the nursing service pricing law, is underway and should be clarified by the end of the year. The protesting nurses had previously voiced their concerns regarding their salaries and the significant income disparity between medical staff and nurses, with Mohammad Sharifi-Moqaddam, Secretary-General of the Nurses' House, stating that the nursing community has accepted a reduction in the income gap between doctors and nurses to three times, while in Iran, this figure has reached 100 times. Mr. Sharifi-Moqaddam, who was recently given a work exile sentence for organizing a protest by nurses in November in front of the Parliament, was present among today's protesters. On Sunday, the protesters displayed banners with slogans such as 'We are 93 percent,' 'The real Wall Street in Iran's health system, 5 percent of the treatment team takes 95 percent of the income,' and 'We protest against injustice.' Low wages and benefits, considering the shortage of staff and work pressure, along with exhausting multiple shifts, are cited as the main problems faced by nurses in Iran. Numerous reports have previously been published regarding the shortage of nurses in Iran and their increasing emigration from the country.
Protest Gathering of Nurses in Front of the Iranian Presidential Building
Approximately 700 nurses protested in front of the Iranian Presidential Office against income disparities with doctors and the government's delay in implementing nursing service pricing. The protest highlights ongoing issues of low wages, staff shortages, and the emigration of healthcare professionals from Iran.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Approximately 700 nurses gathered in front of the Iranian Presidential Office to protest against income disparities with doctors and the government's delay in implementing a nursing service pricing law. They highlighted issues of low wages, staff shortages, and the pressure of working conditions.
- Nurses claim a 200-fold income disparity between themselves and doctors, while the government disputes this figure.
- The protest was organized despite government pressure to dissuade attendance from hospitals.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran's healthcare system faces challenges such as low wages for nurses, a shortage of staff, and high emigration rates among healthcare professionals. These issues are exacerbated by economic difficulties and government policies.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%