Corona in Iran; Intensification of the crisis in Sistan and Baluchestan, increase in flights to Armenia

Esmail Hossein Zehi, a representative of the people of Khash, says that the coronavirus situation in Sistan and Baluchestan has "crossed the line of disaster" and the armed forces should set up mobile hospitals.

Hossein Ali Shahriari, a representative from Zahedan, also pointed out that "military institutions are preparing to set up field hospitals," and without providing statistical details, said that the number of people infected with the coronavirus in the southeast of the country is "five times the previous waves."

Officials at the University of Medical Sciences in the province say that so far more than 60,000 people in the province have been infected with the coronavirus and 1,674 have lost their lives, but some members of parliament have estimated the actual number to be higher than the announced figures.

Sima Sadat Lari, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, stated that the reason for the critical situation in Sistan and Baluchestan is the spread of the Delta virus, and that in the past 5 weeks, the number of outpatients and inpatients has increased at a faster rate, and now "positive coronavirus tests in this province have reached about 60 percent."

The Tejarat News website wrote in a report that power outages and the failure of oxygen machines have exacerbated the crisis, and "oxygen machines have also become expensive and scarce, and are being sold for twice the normal price."

Tasnim News Agency also reported, referring to the increasing pressure on the province's weak healthcare system, that in some parts of the province, despite the high prevalence of COVID-19, "corona test kits are either non-existent or in short supply and do not meet the needs of the population."

As the coronavirus crisis intensifies, Soheila Khosravi, Director General of Blood Transfusion in Sistan and Baluchestan, also announced the impact of this situation on the province's blood reserves, saying that the situation is "extremely critical."

Pointing out that thalassemia patients are waiting for blood transfusions and that it is not possible to import blood from other provinces, he warned that "given the conditions of blood reserves in Sistan and Baluchestan, it is not even possible to respond for one day under normal conditions."

Increasing flights to Armenia

Continuing the demand to travel to Armenia for free corona vaccination, Mohammad Zibakhsh, spokesman for the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization, said that Armenia will add two more flights to its flights next week, bringing the total number of flights from Armenia to Tehran to 11 per week.

In recent days, some countries in the region, including Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and the UAE, have been offering free vaccines to foreign tourists, and many Iranians have turned to foreign countries due to the government's hesitation and delay in vaccinating its citizens.

Currently, the cost of air travel to Armenia, according to domestic media reports, is estimated to be between 8 and 20 million Tomans, depending on hotel rates, but reports have also been published about vaccinations at the border between Iran and Armenia.

In an interview with IRNA, Masoud Mardani, a member of the scientific committee of the National Headquarters for Combating Corona, criticized the increase in trips to Armenia to receive the free AstraZeneca vaccine, saying, "This vaccine can be provided to the people for 200,000 tomans or a maximum of 500,000 tomans."

Regarding the private sector's failure to import vaccines, he explained that the Ministry of Health has told private companies that if they import vaccines, they must distribute them through the Ministry of Health, and "they also do not do so for fear of not being able to get their capital back."

Source: Radio Farda