As protests continued across Iran, medical professionals at hospitals in Tehran reported being overwhelmed with patients suffering injuries, according to the BBC. A doctor at a Tehran eye hospital described the facility as being in "crisis mode," while a medic at another hospital stated they lacked sufficient surgeons to handle the surge in patients.
The anti-government protests, ongoing as of Friday, have spread to numerous locations. Two human rights organizations have reported at least 50 protester deaths amid the unrest.
The BBC obtained the messages from the medical professionals as Iranian authorities issued warnings to protesters. The specific types of injuries and the exact number of patients overwhelming the hospitals were not disclosed in the reports. The reports highlight the strain on the Iranian healthcare system as it attempts to cope with the consequences of the ongoing protests.
The protests occurred against a backdrop of heightened tensions between Iran and the United States. On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Iran was in "big trouble" and warned against violence. In response, Iran sent a letter to the UN Security Council blaming the U.S. for escalating the protests into "violent subversive acts and widespread vandalism."
The BBC and most other international news organizations are barred from formally reporting from inside Iran, making independent verification of the situation difficult. The reports from medical professionals provide a rare glimpse into the impact of the protests on the country's healthcare infrastructure. The situation remains fluid, and the long-term consequences for both the protesters and the Iranian healthcare system are yet to be seen.
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