Rasht Representative: Official Death Toll from Coronavirus Seems Like a Joke

The Rasht representative has strongly criticized officials for concealing the actual number of coronavirus victims, saying that official statistics seem more like a joke. The situation in Gilan is very dire. In Rasht, even hospital corridors are filled with coronavirus patients.

No one has accurate information about the exact number of affected individuals and victims of this disease. However, the Rasht representative in the Iranian parliament states: “Based on evidence, indicators, and information we have received, the number of people affected and deceased from this disease is greater than the figure being announced.” In recent days, there have been repeated criticisms, both in domestic and foreign media, of the Islamic Republic officials’ concealment regarding the extent of the coronavirus outbreak in Iran. A matter that has itself contributed to the further spread of the disease.

A Bitter Gap Between Official and Actual Numbers

Gholamali Jafarzadeh, referring to official statistics showing approximately 40 deaths from coronavirus in Iran, has considered this figure “something like a joke” and told “Asr-e Iran” that “the situation in Gilan is much more dire than Qom and even other parts of Iran.”

The Rasht representative has reported that the situation in Gilan province, particularly in Rasht, is more critical than other parts of Iran. According to Gholamali Jafarzadeh, the severity of this crisis is such that he considers coronavirus “as if it were a war.” The Rasht representative stated “that all hospitals in Rasht are full of patients suspected of having coronavirus.” Another concerning point is that healthcare workers in Gilan hospitals face severe shortages of basic facilities.

According to him, doctors and nurses in Rasht hospitals do not even have access to a standard mask. Hospitals are full and patients have no means of treatment.

Full Hospitals, Empty Hands of Nurses and Doctors

The Rasht representative paints a picture of the situation in Rasht and says: “The situation is such that currently at the entrance of Razi Hospital (which was supposed to be the main center for receiving coronavirus patients in Gilan), it is written that due to reaching full capacity, they are not accepting new patients.”

Beyond Razi Hospital, other hospitals such as 17 Shahrivar, which is a children’s hospital, are suffering from severe shortages of health facilities to combat the spread of coronavirus. He said: “Today I learned about the shortage of masks for the staff of this hospital and the concerns that families of medical personnel and families of children admitted to 17 Shahrivar have.”

According to him, amid this shortage, even the establishment of a field hospital is being avoided. Gholamali Jafarzadeh asked why there is resistance to establishing a field hospital in Rasht?

Cemeteries for Burying Coronavirus Victims or Further Spread?

Another concerning matter that the Rasht representative pointed out is the unsanitary burial of people who have died from coronavirus. He stated: “According to reports from village heads and members of village councils, a number of people from villages in Gilan with symptoms similar to coronavirus have died during this period and have been buried without their cause of death being recorded.”

This is while unsanitary burial in village cemeteries could, according to the Rasht representative, itself be a factor in further spread of the disease, “because in some villages in Gilan, cemeteries are located near residential areas, and burying people without observing the standards and protocols of the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health could severely damage the health and life of people in these areas.”

Uninformed People and Officials Without a Sense of Responsibility

The government’s concealment has had other dangerous consequences. Groups of people, disregarding the coronavirus danger, have used school closures for recreational trips. The Rasht representative says that downplaying coronavirus caused 700,000 people to travel to Gilan. He believes that the manner in which officials handled the matter “caused people to not take the matter seriously either, and even some of them traveled, with approximately 700,000 people traveling to Gilan in recent days.”

The situation will not normalize soon in Iran and in the world. However, Hassan Rouhani, the Iranian president, allowed himself to easily tell people that from Saturday, March 1st, everything will become “normal.” Gholamali Jafarzadeh said regarding this to Asr-e Iran: “Such statements indicate that perhaps the government still has not properly understood the depth of the catastrophe.”

He referred to the role of quarantine in preventing the spread of coronavirus; a measure that is still not being taken seriously by Islamic Republic officials. The Rasht representative spoke about the necessity of “city-by-city quarantine in Gilan” and wanted “movement from Rasht to Astana Ashrafiyyeh or from Astana to Lahijan to be banned so that this crisis can be contained.”

Iran: The “Most Advanced” Country in Fighting Coronavirus!

The harsh criticism of the Rasht representative against the government and its officials comes at a time when the Health Minister claims that the Islamic Republic is among “the leading countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region in preventing and fighting the outbreak of coronavirus and is the first in the world.”

Saeed Namaki has also stated that the number of recovered individuals is increasing and the Islamic Republic, instead of waiting for coronavirus, has taken the initiative to prevent it. The Health Minister has described his ministry’s approach in controlling and treating the disease as follows:

“Instead of sitting and waiting for the virus to come to us, we will go to prevent the spread of this disease. This plan with 300,000 medical and health teams will begin its work from tomorrow.” These teams are supposed to visit “individual homes” and identify suspected cases.

What will happen to suspected patients after identification is unclear. This is because the Health Minister of the Islamic Republic is himself among those who have criticized the Rouhani government’s performance in providing facilities. He has also complained about hoarding by “unfair” networks in the Islamic Republic.

Source: DW