Third COVID-19 wave overwhelms Iranian hospitals
A third wave of coronavirus infections is bringing Iran's medical infrastructure to its knees as the country’s health minister points to a lack of financial support.
Iran announced another 184 deaths caused by the coronavirus on Wednesday, raising its total to close to 25,000. The number of confirmed cases is now around 433,000.
According to health officials, the country has been hit with a “third wave” of the pandemic, a period they say could prove even more disastrous than the previous peaks. Hospitals in many cities, including the capital Tehran, have reached capacity. Local officials in the central city of Isfahan are lamenting a “situation beyond critical.” A video went viral earlier this week showing a number of people at a hospital in the western city of Yasouj loudly arguing with fatigued medical staff, who had to turn them away due to a lack of beds.
