Continued Poisonings; This Time 40 Students from Shushtar Medical School

Soghra Ganj, the Deputy for Treatment at Shushtar Medical School, announced the poisoning of students after dinner in the dormitory, stating: "The condition of these students is stable." According to this local official, on Saturday night, 40 students from Shushtar Medical School showed symptoms of poisoning after having dinner in the dormitory. The Deputy for Treatment mentioned that some students were treated and discharged on an outpatient basis, while others are receiving "IV therapy" and their general condition has been reported as stable. Previously, several Iranian media outlets and student organizations reported food poisoning affecting at least 70 students from Tarbiat Modares University in Tehran, with some being sent to medical facilities. Reports indicate that these students fell ill after having "tuna fish and mashed potatoes" for dinner, starting in the early hours of Saturday, November 19. Published images show the presence of emergency vehicles, including bus ambulances, to treat the poisoned individuals. Meanwhile, according to ISNA news agency, Ali Mohammadi, the head of the Teacher Training University, expressed ignorance about the cause of the poisoning, claiming that 36 student teachers were transferred to the hospital "due to gastrointestinal issues." He also claimed it is unclear whether this incident was "caused by food poisoning or a health issue." In contrast, Babak Yektapars, the spokesperson for Iran's Emergency Organization, stated that the reason for the "transfer of 36 students from Tarbiat Modares University" was "food poisoning" and that the poisoned students were taken to Firouzgar, Yas, and Shariati hospitals. Numerous reports have emerged regarding student protests at various Iranian universities over the quality of university food and student poisonings. According to published reports, students at Hamadan Industrial University protested by placing their food trays on the ground following a mass food poisoning incident involving their classmates last week. Student news channels referred to the mass poisoning of students at Hamadan Industrial University on November 12, a week earlier, as a "domino effect of student poisonings under the National Unity Government." The Amir Kabir newsletter criticized the "low quality of student cafeteria food," stating that after the "removal of subsidies" for food at Alzahra University, expired food and food contaminated with insects were provided to students. The "Progressive Students" organization also criticized the ongoing student poisonings on the social media platform "X," stating: "Sacrificing the quality of students' education for theft and further profiteering by university officials is a routine practice of the Islamic Republic in dealing with student life issues." Food poisoning is not limited to universities; schoolchildren and workers have also suffered food poisoning, with some cases resulting in fatalities. For instance, students at a boys' school in Kashmar, Razavi Khorasan Province, fell ill after having breakfast prepared at school on November 16, with 42 of them being sent to the hospital. Providing unhealthy food to workers at a subsidiary of the Bakhtar Petrochemical Holding in Assaluyeh in August this year also led to the poisoning of 180 individuals and the death of one worker.