Amnesty International: Iran Among Countries with Highest Number of Healthcare Worker Deaths Due to Coronavirus

In a recent report by Amnesty International covering 79 countries worldwide, Iran, alongside countries such as the United States, Russia, and Egypt, has recorded the highest number of deaths among healthcare and emergency personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amnesty International’s report dated July 13 examines human casualties, widespread abuse, and attacks and violence against physicians, nurses, and aid workers due to the global coronavirus pandemic.

The organization states that governments should be held accountable for failing to protect the lives of medical and healthcare personnel and workers in vital sectors.

This human rights body says the data and estimates it has collected show that more than three thousand healthcare and emergency personnel in at least 79 countries worldwide have lost their lives due to illness caused by the coronavirus.

However, Amnesty International emphasizes that this figure is most likely far lower than the actual number.

Yet these are not the only human casualties threatening the medical and healthcare community; they have been subjected to intimidation, detention, threats, violence, and job loss in various countries worldwide.

Amnesty International’s statistics show that the United States (507 deaths), Russia (545 deaths), Britain (540 deaths including social workers), Brazil (351 deaths), Mexico (248 deaths), Egypt (111 deaths), Iran (91 deaths), and Ecuador and Spain (82 and 63 deaths respectively) are at the top of countries worldwide with the highest number of casualties among healthcare and emergency personnel.

Iran’s statistics were provided by the website “Medscape,” which focuses on medical information and educational matters. This website’s data was last updated on July 2, ten days ago.

Of course, as Amnesty International itself stated, while estimates are not necessarily drawn from official sources, they may be “significantly” lower than actual figures.

Iranian government officials have refrained from providing accurate, detailed, and specific statistics regarding patients and deaths, whether at the general public level across various provinces and cities, or at the level of healthcare personnel.

Official statistics on the total number of cases and deaths are also met with doubts. Dr. Masoud Mardani, a member of Iran’s national coronavirus committee, previously stated that random serological tests showed that 18 million citizens, or 20 percent of the population, have contracted COVID-19 to date.

Regarding deaths of healthcare workers in Iran, scattered statistics have been presented. For example, one can refer to statements made by the Health Ministry spokesman in early Farvardin, who said that 43 healthcare and health workers had died due to COVID-19.

In Ordibehesht, Nasrollah Fathian, coordinator of the National Coronavirus Combat Headquarters, stated that more than 100 medical and nursing personnel in Iran had lost their lives; a figure that three months ago was higher than the current estimate of the “Medscape” website.

Amnesty International has stressed that lack of access to personal protective equipment, due to shortages, trade restrictions, and limitations, is among the challenges faced by healthcare workers, while many physicians have taken individual action to purchase these vital equipment.

Amnesty International says its estimates “clearly demonstrate the severe concerns that healthcare workers face these days” and also show how governments are unable to properly protect and support the fundamental rights of their citizens.

Source: Radio Farda