The medical community in Iran has been shaken by another suicide as physician Zahra Maleki Ghorbani reportedly took her own life amid a growing trend.
Social media posts prior to her death showcased her objections to the dire working conditions at her hospital, hers the latest case among many amid Iran’s medical crisis.
The event adds to a rising trend among medical professionals in the country committing suicide, or being found dead under suspicious circumstances.
Just days ago, Samira Al-e-Saeedi, a rheumatology specialist and professor at the University of Tehran, took her own life.
Colleague Mehdi Abdous shared on social platform X that Al-e-Saeedi had discussed her plans for suicide with peers the day before she acted on them. Abdous noted the exceptionally high levels of stress and tension doctors face compared to other professions.
The suicide of Parastoo Bakhshi, a 34-year-old cardiovascular specialist, at Noorabad Delfan Hospital in Lorestan Province, also underlined the ongoing issue.
Found by hospital staff in the dormitory, her death has been linked to “excessive workplace pressure,” according to the Medical Council of Iran.
Reports reveal a 200% increase in doctors applying for immigration compared to five years ago as professionals flee to better working and living conditions amid Iran’s economic and social crisis.
The Iranian Psychiatric Scientific Association has highlighted an increase in suicides among medical professionals, noting that 16 medical residents took their own lives last year alone.
