In Zarabad city, Sistan and Baluchestan province, a mother recently gave birth to twins who displayed alarming symptoms. The family rushed them to Chabahar Hospital, where medical personnel delivered the devastating news that both infants had passed away.
However, during the burial preparations, the family made a heart-wrenching discovery: one of the babies was still alive, while the other had tragically perished due to neglect and inadequate care.
The grim episode is a depiction of the conditions in Baluchestan, a region grappling with economic, social, and healthcare challenges, and a severe healthcare crisis. Insufficient medical personnel, including specialists, and a scarcity of essential medical equipment are pervasive issues in many areas of Baluchestan.
Moreover, the absence of hospitals in several cities forces residents to travel long distances for treatment. A recent heart-wrenching incident that went viral on social media has intensified the urgency to prioritize healthcare infrastructure and services in the region, highlighting the regime’s neglect and endangering the healthcare of the people of Baluchestan.
Cities like Qasarqand, Dashtiari, Zarabad, Golshan, and Taftan, with a combined population exceeding 600,000, lack hospitals entirely. Even the only hospital in the region, the ‘Imam Ali’ hospital in Chabahar, struggles with understaffing and inadequate infrastructure. This scarcity of medical facilities exacerbates the challenges faced by the local population.
The poignant video of two infants of Zarabad circulated on social media, evoking public outrage and shedding light on the regime’s priorities. It was a stark reminder that the regime allocates resources to equipping hospitals in countries like Indonesia and Syria while neglecting the dire healthcare situation in Baluchestan, where children’s lives hang in the balance daily.
Moinuddin Saeedi, the regime’s representative of Chabahar, was compelled to acknowledge this distressing situation during an interview with the regime’s Farhang Radio. He described the birth and death of babies at Chabahar Hospital as a tragic event reminiscent of a slaughterhouse. Saeedi also revealed that the hospital had been registered since 2017, yet substantive actions to rectify the dire conditions had been sorely lacking.
The well-being of mothers and infants is a critical determinant of the overall health of society. Baluchestan’s shortage of doctors and healthcare services places pregnant women at significant risk, resulting in higher rates of infant mortality and abortion compared to the national average.
Moreover, inadequate, and impassable road infrastructure compounds the difficulties faced by expectant mothers in accessing hospitals and medical professionals in distant cities.
The people of Baluchestan, burdened by poverty, lack of safe drinking water, inadequate health facilities, and limited treatment options, are highly susceptible to infections and communicable diseases.
These diseases not only jeopardize individual and societal well-being, but also impose hefty financial burdens on the already impoverished population.
Many individuals, unable to afford proper treatment, succumb to these diseases, underscoring the urgent need to provide accessible healthcare services. Access to healthcare is not only a fundamental human right but also a social and national imperative.
