Corona in Iran – Morgues in Sistan and Baluchestan “Filled with Bodies”; Number of Hospitalizations and Deaths on Upward Trend in 25 Provinces

As the coronavirus crisis continues across Iran, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday, July 11, that 165 people lost their lives in the past 24 hours.

According to ISNA news agency, the number of hospitalized patients and coronavirus deaths is currently on an upward trend in 25 provinces, and 143 cities across the country are in red alert status.

Meanwhile, some areas of Iran are in more severe conditions. Iraj Harirchi, Deputy Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education, stated that although Hormozgan Province comprises only two percent of the country’s population, “approximately 11 percent of coronavirus hospitalizations have been reported from this province.”

In Sistan and Baluchestan, the situation remains in the red zone. ISNA news agency reported on the border city of Khash that residents of this region “are enduring difficult and arduous conditions in the shadow of officials’ negligence and mismanagement.”

In total, according to Dr. Mohammad Hashemi Shahri, the rector of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, 28 people in Sistan and Baluchestan Province died from coronavirus in the past 24 hours. In this case, according to official statistics, the death rate in this province accounts for 17 percent of the country’s total deaths.

This is while Hadi Mirzaei, rector of Zabol University of Medical Sciences, stated in Sistan and Baluchestan Province that hospitals in this city “have been filled with coronavirus patients.”

Mehdi Shams Abadi, prosecutor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, said that given the conditions this province is facing, “the health minister should not be able to sleep at night.”

He rejected the claims of Saeed Namaki, the Minister of Health, regarding the existence of empty hospital beds in this province and stated, “Morgues are filled with bodies and this is a reality that cannot be denied.”

Public Opinion Poll: Officials Are Inefficient

The inefficiency of Iranian authorities in combating the coronavirus has been reflected in a national survey about the disease. According to ISNA news agency, in this survey conducted in April of this year, nearly 75 percent of respondents stated that they have “somewhat, little, and very little” confidence in the correctness of government policies and measures to combat the coronavirus crisis.

In recent days, with the continuation of confusion in government policies to combat coronavirus, public criticism of various officials has become more apparent. Reza Kianian, an Iranian film and television actor, posted a video on Instagram addressing the Minister of Health: “Mr. Namaki, this is the border between Iran and Armenia. How salty has the state of treatment in our country become with your ministry. Of course, you don’t have any problems! Your friends also announce a new vaccine every day, and it’s unclear how much of the country’s budget they have spent.”