Injured Iranian Protesters Avoid Hospitals Amid Fear

In Iran, many protesters injured during the ongoing anti-government demonstrations are avoiding hospitals, citing fear of arrest or further persecution. One demonstrator, speaking under the pseudonym Tara, recounted: “People helped us and put us into a car… I just kept saying, don’t take us to the hospital.”

Tara and a friend were participating in protests in Isfahan when security forces on motorcycles opened fire. “My friend pleaded with an armed officer, ‘Please don’t shoot us,’” Tara said. “But they fired several rounds. We fell to the ground, our clothes soaked in blood.”

An unidentified passerby subsequently transported them to safety. “We were terrified of being arrested, so we avoided hospitals,” Tara explained. They eventually found refuge with a couple at their home. By dawn, they managed to contact a trusted doctor, who cleaned the bullet wounds. Later, a surgeon removed some fragments, cautioning that not all could be extracted and some would remain in their bodies permanently.

Reported Casualties and Injuries

Reliable data on casualties is difficult to obtain due to government restrictions on media and internet shutdowns.

According to HRANA, over 11,000 protesters have suffered serious injuries. Many fear going to hospitals and rely instead on doctors, nurses, and volunteers who provide covert, at-home medical care despite personal risk.

Health workers report that security forces are heavily present in hospitals, scrutinising patient records to identify protesters. One Tehran-based surgeon, under the pseudonym Nima, described transporting injured youths in his car to avoid police detection. “We performed continuous surgeries for almost 96 hours without sleep,” he said. Many victims had severe injuries requiring amputation, leaving some permanently disabled.