TEHRAN- Iran is now facing with a shortage of 125,000 nurses, estimated based on the plans to increase hospital beds by 2021, said Asghar Dalvandi, the director of Nursing Organization. 

Dalvandi made the announcement on International Nurses Day, May 12. 

According to World Health Organization (WHO), there is a global shortage of health workers, in particular nurses and midwives, who represent more than 50% of the current shortage in health workers.

WHO estimates that the world will need an additional 9 million nurses and midwives by the year 2030.

According to Dalvandi, the theme of World Health Day, this year, is ‘Universal health coverage: everyone, everywhere,’ and it is also the slogan of International Council of Nurses who highlights that everyone should have equal rights to have access to medical services, ISNA reported. 

“In most countries, the number of required nurses are estimated based on the population, but in Iran we estimate it according to the number of hospital beds because our medical plans are mostly concentrated in hospitals that is the nurse job is mostly limited to the hospital area,” said Dalvandi. 

“However, considering that the world population is growing older, we should focus more on the important role of nurses as the care takers and health supervisors,” he said. 

“Many countries like Australia, Canada and Scandinavian countries have put great emphasis on attracting and training nurses and have greatly benefited from it as they are now giving many strategic roles in medical teams to nurses.” 

“We need to have more fellowship programs to invite foreign experts and use their experience, or alternatively, we can send our nurses abroad, so that they obtain more professional knowledge and experience,” said Dalvandi. 

SJ/MQ/MG