The Iranian ministry of health ministry has revoked the licenses of 100 ailing hospitals and put 250 more on probation amid patient safety concerns.
Saeed Karimi, the Deputy Health Minister, said warnings had been given. "Out of the 350 hospitals expected to take action, only 200 have complied. As a consequence, licenses for 100 hospitals, including Gandhi hospital, have not been renewed."
Speaking to ISNA, he admitted that many of the hospitals have been operating for over 25 years and are in dire need of renovation.
On January 25, a large fire broke out at Gandhi hospital, a prominent healthcare facility in northern Tehran. The blaze engulfed the building's exterior facade, prompting an evacuation of the premises. There were no immediate reports of casualties, although the cause of the fire remained unknown.
Karimi said "dealing with the situation of hospitals is a multifaceted process" amid allegations that Tehran's hospitals are unsafe. In December, Ali Nasiri, the head of the Crisis Prevention and Management Organization in the Tehran municipality, said that the capital does not have adequate infrastructure and safety measures in place for hospitals.
While Iran's critical civilian infrastructure crumbles and the population is pushed ever deeper into poverty, the regime continues to fund billions each year into its proxy militias around the region.
With the upcoming elections, turnout is expected to be almost zero as Iranians feel desperately apathetic to the prospect of change, with deepening crackdowns on women's rights, spiralling execution rates and a crumbling economy.