Silenced Victims of a Brutal System
On the occasion of International Nurses Day
Dressed in white, through the darkest nights
The Iranian nurse is not the heroic image on a poster, but a weary, worn-out soul on the edge of collapse. They heal, they rescue—but no one asks about their own wounds.
Nurses Day in Iran is not a time for celebration, but a moment to echo a silenced cry within a system that trades humanity for money, and repays compassion with cruelty.
This report is a testimony to the hidden life of Iranian nurses—to the invisible bruises, to the pain hidden beneath white masks, and to a voice still stifled. It is the story of silence, poverty, pressure, and perseverance on the quietest frontlines of struggle. With empty hands and hearts full of care, they breathe life into others—while themselves becoming victims of neglect, discrimination, and repression.
On the Brink of Collapse: Nursing as Exhaustion, not Care
Nursing is not merely a job—it is a symbol of commitment and courage in times of crisis. In many countries, nurses are hailed as frontline soldiers. In Iran, they are sent into battle with no armor, no food, and no protection.
A severe shortage of staff has turned hospitals into zones of chronic crisis. A single nurse is often responsible for 20 to 30 patients per shift. The system is driving nurses to physical and emotional destruction. An exhausted, ill, and disheartened nurse cannot heal others. This deterioration is not just a personal tragedy—it is a social warning.
Deep Wounds of the Profession: Discrimination, Poverty, and Injustice
Despite an acute nationwide shortage, tens of thousands of qualified nurses remain unemployed, trapped behind the closed doors of the Ministry of Health. Those employed often earn as little as 14 million tomans a month (approximately 140USD), far below the poverty line. Some receive under 500,000 tomans (5USD), with no insurance and salary delays of up to a year.
Poverty weakens the body and shatters the spirit. Nurses have told us: “We give our lives, but we don’t get to live.” This is the voice of poverty—dressed in white.
Unemployed in a Time of Need: Short-Term Contracts, Mass Dismissals
Even amid crisis, many nurses are offered only short-term, insecure contracts with low wages. Tens of thousands were hired on 89-day contracts—without insurance, job security, or hope of permanent employment.
After the peak of the COVID pandemic, over 3,000 of the 8,000 newly recruited nurses were dismissed. They were treated not as heroes or colleagues, but as disposable crisis tools.
Exodus from Hell: The Nursing Brain Drain
While nurses in neighboring countries earn upwards of $2,000, and in the U.S. up to $6,000 per month, Iranian nurses remain trapped in destitution. This wage disparity has fueled not just humiliation, but a wave of emigration.
Over 10,000 nurses have left Iran in recent years. This is not a pursuit of luxury—it is a flight from slow death within an inhumane system. The country’s brightest medical talents are leaving, and this brain drain has inflicted irreparable wounds on Iran’s healthcare system.
Crippling Workload: Forced Shifts and Mental Collapse
With only one nurse per 100 hospital beds (compared to the global standard of 1 per 8), the workload has become unbearable. Many nurses work over 240 hours per month. Consecutive shifts, mandatory overtime, poor nutrition, lack of mental health support, constant fear of errors or legal consequences, and the trauma of constant patient deaths have brought nurses to the brink of psychological collapse.
At least 20 nurses have died in the past three years due to work-related exhaustion. A nurse may spend 18 hours in a hospital shift, then move to a private clinic or ER for a “second shift”—out of sheer hunger.
Being a Woman: A Double Sentence
Nursing in Iran is seen as a woman’s job—but female nurses bear a double burden. Alongside professional discrimination, they face sexual harassment, denial of promotions, and patriarchal attitudes in the workplace. Nurse-mothers receive no childcare support, face threats of dismissal during pregnancy, and are routinely denied benefits.
COVID and Silent Death: From Sacrifice to Oblivion
During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 340 healthcare workers—100 of them nurses—lost their lives. Over 60,000 nurses contracted the virus, and thousands were quarantined. Yet there was no national recognition, support, or compensation.
Names like Fatemeh Shafiee-Moghadam, Zahra Shirouyeh, and Narjes Khonali-Zadeh are just a few among the forgotten. They passed away with no media gravestone.
Crushing Dissent: Repression and Executions
In recent years, nurses have held more protests in cities across Iran. Dozens have been prosecuted for participating in peaceful demonstrations or posting critical messages online.
When voices rose from hospital hallways, the regime did not listen—it slammed the doors shut. Nurses demanding dignity and basic rights were met with summonses, suspensions, arrests, and prison. To the authorities, a protesting nurse was not a healer, but a threat to national security.
Mohammad Ghobadlou, a young man from a healthcare family, was sentenced to death during the 2022 protests without due process. His family and human rights organizations have consistently reported torture, denial of legal counsel, and an unjust trial. His execution was not only a legal disaster—it was a brutal message to those who dare raise their voices.
Parisa Behrouzi-Rad, a young nurse repeatedly summoned and threatened after the protests, died under suspicious circumstances. Her family insists it was not suicide, but the result of severe psychological and security pressure.
Farhad Rasti, another nurse, died of a heart attack during a wave of strikes and unbearable conditions—a death directly tied to systemic injustice, economic hardship, and psychological burnout. Firoozeh Mojarian-Shargh fell into a coma after her arrest. These are only a few among hundreds of silenced nurses—met not with support, but with death, silence, and erasure.
Denied a Union: Isolated and Powerless
Iranian nurses are deprived of independent unions. Existing associations are state-controlled and security-oriented. There is no genuine mechanism to voice collective demands. Any loud voice is treated as a criminal act. This lack of unionization strips Iranian nurses of even the most basic tools to defend their rights.
Conclusion: Iranian Nurses—Punished, Not Honored
Those who listen to the moans of the sick in the dead of night remain voiceless themselves. The Iranian nurse is a victim of structural poverty, gender discrimination, psychological trauma, job insecurity, and political repression. They deserve global recognition—not erasure.
The international community, human rights organizations, and global health institutions bear responsibility. This silence is killing people.
This is the voice of life—listen, before it fades.
