Iran’s Healthcare System Collapsing Under Severe Shortages of Doctors and Nurses

Chronic underfunding, low wages, and mass migration of medical professionals are leaving patients and staff in crisis across Iran.

Iran’s healthcare system is facing one of its worst crises in decades, with severe shortages of doctors and nurses pushing hospitals and clinics to the brink of collapse. From overcrowded wards in Tehran’s largest hospitals to understaffed rural clinics in impoverished provinces, the pressure on medical staff is intensifying daily.

At the root of this crisis lies a combination of economic mismanagement, deliberate underfunding, and the regime’s refusal to invest in the health sector. Accounts from medical staff reveal a system on the verge of breaking down, where both caregivers and patients are suffering the consequences.

A Critical Shortage in Numbers

According to official statistics, Iran faces a shortage of nearly 100,000 nurses, a deficit that translates into crushing workloads, job burnout, and declining quality of care. The ratio of nurses in Iran is just 17 per 10,000 people, far below the global average of 27.4.

The picture is no better for physicians: Iran has just 16 doctors per 10,000 people, well under the 30–50 doctors per 10,000 available in developed nations.

These numbers manifest in real suffering—patients wait in long queues, nurses work endless shifts, and doctors are forced to cover multiple hospitals simultaneously.

Nurses on the Frontline

Nurses working in hospitals have explained that the shortage has severely weakened the system’s ability to provide quality services. They have emphasized that with increasing demand, the inadequate number of nurses leaves existing staff with excessive workloads that harm their physical and mental well-being.

It is also noted that this shortage diminishes the quality of patient care, leading to longer waiting times, lower patient satisfaction, and poorer treatment outcomes. In rural and underprivileged areas, where medical resources are already scarce, the situation becomes even worse, deepening inequality in access to healthcare.

According to nurses, the solution requires investment in nursing education, better working conditions, and incentives to retain qualified staff. Without these measures, Iran’s healthcare system cannot deliver the level of service the population needs.

Doctors Under Economic Strain

Specialist physicians report that the economic crisis has had devastating effects on doctors and nurses, just as it has on other sectors of society. Salaries are extremely low, payments are frequently delayed, and insurance companies often refuse to cover costs.

Doctors state that the official consultation fee for a general practitioner in a private emergency ward does not even reach the equivalent of two dollars, and the final share that reaches the doctor is only a fraction of that amount. As a result, many doctors earn barely $150 per month—an amount far below the poverty line in Iran.

Many also highlight unbearable working conditions: long shifts, shortages of medicine, inadequate equipment, and even the risk of physical attacks by frustrated patients or their families. The combination of delayed insurance payments, outdated facilities, and overwhelming workloads has created what they describe as job erosion and professional exhaustion.

Migration: An Escalating Exodus

With little hope for improvement, a growing number of doctors and nurses are leaving Iran. In 2024 alone, over 7,000 doctors applied for migration certificates, while thousands of nurses sought opportunities abroad, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Doctors explain that countries such as Qatar offer competitive salaries and working conditions, actively recruiting Iranian medical staff without requiring lengthy examinations. This has made migration an increasingly attractive option, particularly for young specialists and overworked nurses.

Patients Pay the Ultimate Price

While healthcare workers struggle, it is patients who suffer the most. Medical professionals underline that overworked nurses and doctors cannot provide timely care, leading to dangerous delays in treatment and declining health outcomes. Families are left facing not only medical risks but also greater emotional and financial stress.

A System in Deliberate Neglect

The testimony of healthcare workers suggests that the crisis is not simply the result of mismanagement but of deliberate neglect by the regime. Despite widespread unemployment among trained nurses, the authorities refuse to hire them. Despite overwhelming demand for healthcare funding, resources continue to be diverted toward the regime’s security forces and regional interventions.

This has left doctors and nurses demoralized, hospitals understaffed, and patients increasingly vulnerable. Unless structural reforms are enacted, Iran’s healthcare system may soon face irreversible collapse—leaving millions without access to basic medical care.