Arrest of Offenders in Case of Refusal to Treat Injured Child in Isfahan

Following the publication of a report regarding the refusal of medical staff at a hospital in Isfahan province to provide services due to the parents' 'lack of financial means' for a wounded child, a doctor and a nurse have been arrested and charged. Another report indicates that the injured child, a four or five-year-old boy, is currently undergoing plastic surgery. The state news agency IRNA reported on Sunday evening, December 15, quoting the deputy prosecutor of Khomeini Shahr, that upon the complainant's visit to the prosecutor's office, the accused, a doctor and a nurse, were directed to the police detention center after being informed of their charges for further investigation. He mentioned the judiciary's firm determination to address this case but also requested that the media refrain from commenting on the case until the final verdict and court formation. Previously, Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Iran's Minister of Health, quoted the head of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, stating that the offenders in this incident, including the doctor and the night shift supervisor of the hospital, would be referred to the judiciary. Local sources, including the local newspaper 'Isfahan Ziba,' reported on Sunday that a family in poverty visited Ashrafi Isfahani Hospital in Khomeini Shahr for stitches for their children's chin laceration, but the father's inability to pay the 150,000 Toman fee led to the doctor's order to reopen the child's stitches. This local newspaper's attempts to verify the accuracy of this incident were unsuccessful, but the state broadcaster IRNA reported, quoting the deputy of treatment at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences on Saturday evening, December 14, that 'the doctor and nurse of this hospital have been prohibited from working in medical centers until a definitive ruling is issued due to the refusal to treat the child.' This official confirmed that 'the patient's rights charter was not observed by the medical team in this unfortunate incident' and added that necessary measures for the child's chin repair have been considered after this incident. The state news agency IRNA also reported on Sunday in another article, quoting the deputy of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, that the injured child is named Sadra Zahedpour and is currently undergoing plastic surgery. In response to this incident, the Iranian Minister of Health stated on Sunday to the state broadcaster that he learned about the issue through social media on Saturday night and issued an order that same night to send a team to investigate the incident. Mr. Ghazizadeh Hashemi also emphasized the need for judicial action against the offenders in this incident. Khomeini Shahr County has a population of about 300,000 and is located 10 kilometers west of Isfahan.