Nine Patients Die in Rasht Hospital fire

July 5, 2024

At least nine patients died when a fire tore through a hospital in Rasht, state media said. The fire at Ghaem Hospital, a privately-owned institution, broke out at 1:30 a.m. June 18, state broadcasting said. “Unfortunately, nine people lost their lives in this fire accident,” said the president of the Gilan University of Medical Sciences in Rasht, Mohammad Taghi Ashobi. He told state TV that “most of the patients who died … were hospitalized in the intensive care unit”.

He said the fire appeared to have originated in the UPS room, which houses the emergency power generators of the hospital. Chief of the city fire department, Shahram Momeni, said on state TV that an electric short circuit in the basement which harbors the intensive care unit malfunctioned, causing the fire.

Iran International reported that in February the Health Ministry revoked the licenses of 100 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 have not been renewed.” He said many hospitals have been operating for more than 25 years and are in dire need of renovation. On January 25, a large fire broke out at Tehran’s Gandhi Hospital.

The blaze engulfed the building’s exterior facade, prompting an evacuation of the premises. There were no immediate reports of casualties, and the cause of the fire remains unknown.