The power outage and extreme heat in Kavar, a town in Fars province, led to the deaths of two young people, aged sixteen and eighteen. These two individuals, Tara Younesi and Sadegh Khoshdel, went into a running car in their home’s garage to cool off after the power went out and their air conditioner stopped working. With the car running in the enclosed space, carbon monoxide filled the vehicle, and they suffocated from inhaling the gas.
In recent weeks, frequent and widespread power outages across Iran have turned into a serious crisis affecting various aspects of people’s lives and have created problems in the healthcare sector as well.
The state-run daily Payam-e Ma wrote that the power outages have not only disrupted daily life but also hindered medical services. Patients in hospitals and even in their homes are facing the risk of losing their lives due to sudden blackouts. Accounts from medical staff portray a widespread crisis in the healthcare sector, one that extends from ICUs to operating rooms and the homes of patients dependent on medical devices.
In one hospital in Tehran, a sudden blackout caused ventilators and other life-support equipment to shut down simultaneously. An ICU nurse said: “Every time the power goes out, the anxiety of patients and nurses doubles. For patients at home who depend on ventilators and suction devices, a power outage means the complete shutdown of the equipment and the risk of suffocation.”
Also, according to Payam-e Ma, an operating room nurse stated: “In some cases, it takes about 30 seconds for the hospital’s electricity to be restored, and during that time, when the surgical light goes out, all doctors and technicians are forced to continue surgery using their mobile phone flashlights.” He also added: “In certain surgeries, such as cardiovascular procedures and kidney transplants, where every second is critical, power outages can cause serious problems.”
In contrast, Mohammadreza Zafarghandi, Iran’s health minister, said: “So far, we have not received any reports of deaths or serious incidents caused by power outages in hospitals.” He emphasized that 10 trillion rials have been allocated for the purchase and repair of generators. However, medical staff and members of parliament say the reality is different.
Salman Es’haghi, spokesperson for the parliament’s Health and Treatment Commission, warned about discontent in some sectors such as dialysis, saying that power outages could lead to the shutdown or damage of devices. He emphasized that this crisis has also caused losses in the pharmaceutical production sector.
According to Payam-e Ma, some pharmaceutical factories have purchased generators to prevent production stoppages, but this has led to heavy costs and may cause future drug shortages. Mohammad Abdozadeh, chairman of the Syndicate of Pharmaceutical Industry Owners, said: “Currently, for two to three days a week, power is cut off in pharmaceutical factories, which has reduced production capacity by 40%.” He explained that in one eight-hour work shift, generators consume about 1,600 liters of diesel, and the fuel cost for three days of weekly outages amounts to about 1.2 billion rials.
He warned that with the continuation of power outages, coupled with problems such as gas shortages in the winter season and delays in foreign currency allocations, starting in September there will be a significant increase in drug shortages across the country.
At the end of its report, Payam-e Ma, while noting that the health minister and the parliament’s Health Commission spokesperson claimed there are no reports of patients dying due to power outages, wrote that many families, in addition to worrying about surgery outcomes, are terrified of sudden blackouts. The newspaper cited a citizen on X who said: “Tomorrow my father is scheduled for surgery. I’m afraid the hospital’s power will go out while he’s in the operating room. God willing, the hospital’s electricity won’t go out tomorrow.”
