Hundreds of Iranians in the village of Chenar Mahmoudi in Chaharmahal Bakhtiari province protested on Wednesday over a shocking case of using HIV-infected syringes by the villages’ health clinic to inject drugs especially to diabetic patients.
The case was revealed after several patients form this village were tested for other reasons in Shiraz and Esfahan hospitals. The result of their tests proved that they were HIV positive. According to the information received by Avatoday from the villagers, a doctor informed the patients and government officials of the case, but security forces and members of Iranian Revolutionary Guards threatened the doctor to stop leaking the information to the media.
Sources inside the village told Avatoday that the tragic incident happened after nurses from the local clinic have been sharing infected-needles and syringes to inject patients.
Iran is suffering from lack of medical equipment and facilities. There have been unofficial reports in the past about the lack of enough syringes in medical clinics. Some of these reports claimed that authorities are encouraging clinics to save clean syringes and needles by sharing them.
Angry protesters inside the village broke windows of the local health clinic today and called for immediate respond from the government.
Footages published on social media showed shocking faces of women, men and children crying and requiring an answer. It is not clear how many people from the village have so far been tested for HIV virus.
A villager told Avatoday that they are surrounded by security forces and that six villagers managed to escape. Some unproved reports said at least one nurse and the head of the clinic were arrested.
No immediate respond was available from Iranian authorities and there have been no further details on the case.
