President Hassan Rouhani has dismissed criticism by local people and officials of shortage of medical facilities amid a surge in Covid-19 cases in the south-eastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan as “big lies”.
“They lie to the people by saying that the administration has not done anything for the people of Sistan and baluchestan,” he said at a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday. Rouhani further characterized the reports about the shortage of hospital beds in the province as “disparaging,” and strangely stressed that there has been “widespread vaccination” across the province.
Iran is far behind in vaccinations from neighboring countries, with roughly 5 million doses administered for a population of 85 million.
During the previous days, several reports said the death toll in Sistan and Baluchestan because there were not enough hospital beds, medical equipment and personnel in various cities in the province.
Harsh criticism of the shortcomings during health minister Saeed Namaki’s visit to the province led to controversial exchanges between the minister and lawmakers from the region who said patients were kicked out of hospitals in order to prove that beds were available at medical centers during the minister’s visit.
A local prosecutor has reportedly indicted the minister for not fulfilling his responsibilities including providing vaccination and for insulting local people and officials.
Source » trackpersia