Danger Lurking in Iran's Capital Healthcare Facilities; 40 Hospitals in Tehran's District 6 Have Been Warned

Following a fire at Gandhi Hospital in Tehran, the crisis management director of District 6 of the Iranian capital announced the issuance of at least three warnings for 40 major private and public hospitals, including Imam Khomeini and Shariati hospitals. According to Mehdi Khosravani, fire safety is a significant issue in crisis management for high-traffic buildings, including hospitals and healthcare centers. Ahmad Qiyoumi, the governor of Tehran, also stated on Thursday night, February 5, after the fire at Gandhi Hospital, that 'all unsafe buildings in Tehran have been warned, including some older hospitals.' Earlier, the Islamic Republic Radio and Television reported on January 21 that 75 buildings in Tehran were unsafe due to lack of cooperation and funding for safety measures. Ghodratollah Mohammadi, the CEO of Tehran Fire Department, also announced on January 30 that 75 high-profile and high-traffic buildings were unsafe, emphasizing that the list includes government buildings, such as hospitals and other public facilities, which are in critical condition. The safety of buildings in Tehran became a sensitive issue after the Plasco incident, and in Esfand 1400 (March 2022), the Fire Department announced that 'approximately 33,000 buildings have been identified as important, with 3,500 buildings exceeding the permissible level of safety.' Since the Plasco building caught fire in downtown Tehran on January 19, 2017, killing at least 22 people, to the collapse of Metropol in Abadan on May 23, 2022, which left 43 dead, many officials of the Islamic Republic have warned about the necessity of securing public buildings in Iran, especially in Tehran. However, it remains unclear how much practical action has been taken to ensure building safety. From Plasco to Gandhi Hospital; buildings in Iran remain unsafe and hazardous. A fire at a cosmetics factory left over 50 injured.