Amid the challenge of energy supply in Iran due to the sharp increase in temperature, media outlets have reported that the power outage crisis has reached medical centers, disrupting the activities of some hospitals and healthcare facilities.
The state-run Tejarat News website reported a power outage at Khomeini Hospital in Mahallat, Markazi Province, on July 24, stating that at the time of the incident, 18 patients were undergoing hemodialysis.
A relative of one of these patients told the media, “Power outage in dialysis machines means severe shock to the patients. The blood that is taken out of the patient’s body for purification is returned to the body with the help of this device, and when the power to these devices is cut off, this cycle stops.”
According to him, the power outage at Khomeini Hospital in Mahallat lasted more than 15 minutes, during which some companions manually operated the dialysis machines to prevent excessive shock to the patients.
Earlier, on July 27, Mohammad Taghi Ashoobi, the President of Gilan University of Medical Sciences, addressed the power outage incident at Pirouz Hospital in Lahijan and stated that the hospital’s director had been dismissed after this incident.
Ali Akbar Mehrabian, the Minister of Energy, warned on July 27 that with the arrival of a heat wave and increased electricity consumption in Iran, the conditions for electricity production and supply have become more challenging.
According to Mehrabian, the average growth in electricity consumption in the country has been around four percent in recent years, but this year it has exceeded eight percent and is estimated to reach nine percent in the coming days.
Tejarat News, in its continued report, called the issue of electricity shortage and outages one of the main challenges of the country, stating that this crisis has sounded the alarm for the healthcare sector and has affected the condition of patients.
The website added, “Power outage in a hospital means the failure of devices that patients’ lives depend on, such as the ICU, CCU, dialysis units, etc. This incident, of course, occurs more often in small cities than in other areas.”
The unprecedented increase in temperature and electricity consumption in Iran led to the closure of centers, government offices, and banks across the country on Sunday, July 28.
The National Meteorological Organization announced that from the second half of next week, significant heat will cover almost all regions of Iran.
Tejarat News deemed power outages in public hospitals more likely due to their outdated equipment and wrote that in such conditions, “providing healthy power generators” for medical centers is essential.
Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, the CEO of Tavanir (Iran’s Power Generation and Distribution Company), announced on July 25 that the unprecedented increase in temperature in Iran, in addition to increasing energy consumption, has put additional pressure on the country’s power grid.
Mehrdad Moniri, an emergency physician, warned in an interview with Tejarat News that the worn-out generators and power outages in public hospitals could be disastrous.
He emphasized, “The Ministry of Health and Medical Education should allocate these funds to equip public hospitals instead of opening new hospitals and equipping them when there is no manpower to operate them.”
Power outages in hospitals and healthcare centers are not a new phenomenon and have also been a concern for health and medical professionals, patients, and their families in recent years.
The regime’s ISNA news agency published a report titled “The Miseries of Power Outages for Patients and Hospitals” in July 2021.
Despite having 300 days of sunshine a year, the Iranian regime has made no investment in renewable energy. Iran holds one-fifth of the world’s gas reserves, yet the regime struggles to supply fuel for its power plants, resorting to mazut, which has resulted in significant air pollution.
