Wave of Migration in the Health System; Nurses Forced into Overtime Without Adequate Compensation

The head of the Nursing Organization stated that the "standards and indicators related to human resources" in the health sector are very low and warned that to compensate for the shortage of human resources, "nurses are forced into mandatory overtime," but "the payments are not commensurate with their services and the difficulty of their work." Ahmad Najatian, in an interview with the government news agency ISNA, emphasized the depletion of specialized human resources in the health system and the increasing risk of their migration, stating that "the migration of health workers is a serious threat to the health system." He explained that according to standards, "1.8 nurses are needed for each hospital bed," and if the Administrative and Recruitment Organization pays attention to the expert opinions of the Nursing Organization, some of the human resource problems in the health system will be resolved. Najatian also asserted that health system workers are in harsher conditions compared to workers in other sectors and "need special attention in laws and regulations." He further emphasized that not only has the distribution of human resources not been done appropriately, but the status of salaries and benefits for non-medical groups in the health system, especially nurses, is also inadequate. This health ministry official pointed to internal disagreements with the Administrative and Recruitment Organization regarding the needed workforce in the health system, saying, "Some responsible organizations believe that if the amount paid to nurses for overtime is increased, personnel in other sectors will also demand an increase in their pay." He explained that there should be a proportion between nurses in the health system and other working groups, adding that in recent years, "nurse assistants" have been present alongside nurses, and the ratio of "nursing groups to beds" and "the ratio of nursing groups to other groups" are two indicators that should be addressed regarding nursing groups. The inability of health ministry officials to respond to the increasing demands of nurses comes as hundreds of nurses and healthcare staff in public hospitals have intensified their protests and strikes in at least 16 provinces of Iran since mid-August, emphasizing the realization of their professional and livelihood demands. Reports indicate that several protesters have been arrested on charges of "disruption." Nurses are protesting the non-implementation of the pricing law, mandatory overtime, and meager wages, stating that the health ministry must hear their voices and meet their demands. So far, a group of independent professional, labor, teacher, and retiree organizations have expressed their support for the demands of protesting nurses and criticized the government's actions against the protesters. In this context, the U.S. Department of State and the International Council of Nurses (ICN) expressed concern on September 8 about the "unjust detention and sentencing" of protesting nurses in Iran. The U.S. Department of State and ICN, in separate responses to Michael Lipin, a Voice of America reporter, called for the peaceful protests to be recognized by the Iranian government. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State announced that the department is closely monitoring the protests of nurses and healthcare staff in Iran and expressed concern over reports of the "unjust" detention and sentencing of many protesters in these peaceful protests. Dr. Babak Khaty stated: The wave of migration of nurses is to enjoy the minimums of a normal life. The expansion of protests in the nursing community; nurses gathering in front of the Behbahan governor's office. An official stated that "mandatory overtime" and "non-standard services" are the reasons for the nurses' strike.