Coronavirus in Iran – Morgues in Sistan and Baluchestan are “filled with bodies”; the number of hospitalizations and deaths is on the rise in 25 provinces

As the coronavirus crisis continues across Iran, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday, July 10, that 165 people have lost their lives in the past 24 hours.

According to ISNA news agency, the number of people hospitalized and deaths from COVID-19 is currently on the rise in 25 provinces, and 143 cities in the country are in red status.

Meanwhile, some parts of Iran are in a more severe situation. Iraj Harirchi, Deputy Minister of Health and Medical Education, said that although Hormozgan province contains two percent of the country's population, "about 11 percent of the coronavirus hospitalizations have been reported from this province."

The situation in Sistan and Baluchestan is also still red. ISNA news agency wrote in a report about the border town of Khash that residents of this region "are enduring difficult and difficult conditions and situations due to the inattention and recklessness of managers and officials."

In total, and according to the announcement of Dr. Mohammad Hashemi Shahri, President of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, 28 people have died in Sistan and Baluchestan province due to coronavirus in the past 24 hours. In this case, taking into account official statistics, the death rate in this province constitutes 17% of the total deaths in the country.

This comes as Hadi Mirzaei, president of Zabol University of Medical Sciences in Sistan and Baluchestan province, said that the city's hospitals "have become full of coronavirus patients."

Mehdi Shamsabadi, the prosecutor of Sistan and Baluchestan province, said that given the conditions in the province, "the Minister of Health should not be able to sleep at night."

He rejected claims by Health Minister Saeed Namaki about the existence of empty hospital beds in the province, saying, "The morgues are filled with bodies, and this is a fact that cannot be denied."

Public opinion poll: Authorities are ineffective

The inefficiency of Iranian authorities in dealing with the coronavirus has been reflected in a national survey on the disease. According to ISNA news agency, in the survey conducted in May of this year, nearly 75 percent of respondents said they have "somewhat, little, and very little" confidence in the correctness of the government's policies and measures to deal with the coronavirus crisis.

In recent days, as the government's policies to combat the coronavirus continue to be in turmoil, citizens' criticism of various officials has become more apparent. Iranian film and television actor Reza Kianian posted a video on his Instagram, addressing the Minister of Health: "Mr. Salty, this is the border between Iran and Armenia. The health situation in our country has become so salty with your ministry. Of course, you have no problem! Your friends are also unveiling new vaccines every day, and it is not clear how much of the country's budget they have spent."