Corona in Iran – Death Toll Approaches 18,000; ICU Bed Shortage in Hospitals
As the death toll from coronavirus in Iran approaches 18,000, reports indicate that medical centers are facing shortages of ICU beds.
The spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Health said on Wednesday, August 6, that with 185 coronavirus patients dying in the past 24 hours, the death toll from this virus reached 17,802 people. He also noted that 2,697 new cases of coronavirus were recorded during this period, and the total number of infected people was reported at 317,483.
The announcement of these figures by the Islamic Republic is highly disputed, similar to statistics from China and Russia, and the World Health Organization as well as the Research Center of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly have stated that the actual number of infections and deaths is several times higher than the official figures in Iran.
ICU Bed Shortage in Iran and Death of 150 Medical Staff in Tehran During Corona Crisis
According to Sima Lari, the spokesman for the Ministry of Health, 4,129 patients are under care in critical condition. This comes as Alireza Salimi, Deputy for Education and Research of Iran’s Medical System Organization, announced a “shortage of ICU beds in the country” and added that the number of critically ill patients who need “ICU” has increased.
Salimi also reported the rate of coronavirus infection among the medical community in Iran as “very high” and stated that only in Tehran, more than 6,000 healthcare workers have been infected with coronavirus and 150 have lost their lives.
Additionally, the provinces of Mazandaran, Tehran, Golestan, North Khorasan, Ardabil, Isfahan, Alborz, Razavi Khorasan, Kerman, Semnan, East Azerbaijan, Central, Yazd, and Gilan are in red alert status.
However, in recent months, Hassan Rouhani’s government’s performance in combating coronavirus has faced significant criticism. On the other hand, the broadcast of programs featuring non-expert individuals who present unprincipled and non-professional statements about this virus on Iranian state television has repeatedly caused controversy. Among these, the statements made by Afsaneh Bayegan, an Iranian actress, about coronavirus in a live television program drew considerable criticism on social networks.
Source: Voice of America
