Overworked Nurse's Death Ignites Strikes in Iran's Hospitals

The death of a 32-year-old nurse at Imam Hossein Hospital in Sepidan due to severe work-related stress has sparked widespread protests among nurses across Iran.

Nurse Parvaneh Mandani's death, linked to "Karoshi syndrome," or death from overwork, has intensified ongoing strikes that began last week in Shiraz and Karaj. These protests have now spread to hospitals in seven more cities.

On Monday, nurses from Beheshti Taft Hospital in central Yazd joined the strike, further escalating the situation.

According to local media, Mandani died after she accompanied three patients to a hospital in Shiraz. Her death is supposedly a result of the Karoshi syndrome.

Karoshi, a Japanese term meaning "death from overwork," describes sudden deaths caused by excessive professional demands, often resulting in heart attacks or strokes. 

While most common in Japan, South Korea, and China, the syndrome is becoming a growing concern in Iran as the number of nurse fatalities increases. 

According to a report from Tejarat News, the number of nurses in Iran is critically low, estimated at one-tenth of the European standard and one-fifth of neighboring countries like Azerbaijan. 

The report highlights that nurses in Iran are subjected to prolonged, mandatory overtime, exacerbating their vulnerability.

The ongoing nationwide strikes are driven by multiple grievances, including unpaid wages, the non-implementation of the medical services tariff law, and grueling work shifts. 

According to IranWire sources, authorities are attempting to undermine the strike by deploying replacement nurses from Tehran to Shiraz, offering them higher wages and air transport. 

These measures have sparked further outrage among the striking nurses, who accuse the government of ignoring their legitimate demands. 

The situation has become particularly dire at Amir Hospital, a cancer treatment center in Shiraz, where all patients have been discharged, leaving only supervisors on duty.

The nurses have also voiced concerns about the poor quality of medical facilities and equipment, which they say hampers their ability to provide adequate care. 

One nurse described the daily struggle to locate basic supplies like serum, which frustrates patients' families, who often blame the nurses. "We have to cover 40 to 50 patients in each shift," the nurse said.