12 May was World Nurse Day, where people stop to appreciate the work of these often-undervalued but vital medical practitioners, something that is especially relevant this year given the pandemic.

However, in Iran, nurses are not and have never been valued by the ruling regime. While nurses in other countries are largely vaccinated against the coronavirus, 80% of those in Iran have not yet been vaccinated, according to a government official, and they are at risk of death at work.

Mohammad Mirzabeigi, head of the Iranian Nursing Organization, said Tuesday that at least 100,000 nurses had contracted the virus and 130 had died from it.

Worldwide statistics from May 7 suggests that Iran has vaccinated just 1.47% of the population, ranking above only Afghanistan, and if Iran continues at this pace, it could take years to fully vaccinate the population.

Yet, failing to vaccinate nurses against a deadly disease is not even the first way that the regime is abusing these medical staff.

For years now, there has been a shortage of working nurses in Iran,  but not because there’s a shortage of people training as nurses. Despite having far fewer nurses in terms of the percentage of the population than the global standard and the fact that some will retire, the regime has failed to hire enough nurses.

This puts pressure on existing nurses, meaning they have to work longer shifts with fewer breaks, with each nurse doing the work of four. The lack of nurses is causing overwork, increased physical tiredness, depression, and even death. Mirzabeigi argues that the regime must hire 40,000 nurses urgently.

Meanwhile, the regime is failing to pay nurses a living wage. Due to all these factors, many nurses leave the profession or the country every year to earn a living.

On May 5, Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, Secretary-General of Nurses’ Home, said: “With the outbreak of the Coronavirus and the suffering nurses have endured due to the situation, between 100 and 150 nurses leave the country every month. In European countries, nurses, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic, receive high salaries and good benefits.”

While in April, Dr Armin Zareian, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nursing Organization, said that 500 nurses per month were emigrating to North America and Europe, which is a 300% increase.

It seems that the situation will not improve under the mullahs and regime change is the only option.