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Iran Hospitals Overwhelmed by Gunshot Wounds
26 Jan
Summary
- Hospitals faced chaos with overwhelmed emergency rooms and blood shortages.
- Medical staff treated numerous protesters with gunshot and pellet wounds.
- Young victims with dreams of freedom lost their lives in protests.
Hospitals in cities including Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, and Zanjan have been overwhelmed by casualties from recent unrest, with medical staff describing chaotic scenes. Emergency rooms were overcrowded, with patients on floors and in chairs, while staff faced shortages of blood and specialized surgeons. Internet disruptions further hampered efforts to access patient histories.
One hospital in Tehran reported treating approximately 70 protesters with gunshot wounds per hour during peak days in early January. Another facility documented hundreds of eye injuries from pellet and live bullets, with one surgeon recounting the harrowing experience of removing both eyes from a 13-year-old.
Forensic experts analyzing images indicated that injuries were consistent with buckshot or birdshot fired at close range. Rights agencies have documented thousands of serious injuries, including many from pellet gunfire. The victims represent a diverse cross-section of Iranian society, with many being very young.
