Behind the front lines of every war, those who depend on regular medication and vital treatments are often overlooked. Cancer patient Fatemeh S. says she has grown increasingly worried about her future since the war in Iran began on February 28, 2026. “I urgently need surgery,” she told DW.
Accurate numbers are hard to obtain, but many Iranians require uninterrupted chemotherapy, treatment for multiple sclerosis, care for blood disorders or diabetes. Their situation has worsened as private clinics and medical centers close. Hospitals are understaffed, scheduled surgeries are being postponed, and vital services such as vaccinations and chronic disease care are being interrupted, two Austria-based Iranian doctors and human rights activists, Dr Hassan Naib Hashem and Dr Hamid Hematpour, say.
“Some specialists in Tehran currently care for 200 to 300 patients — that is many times the normally manageable capacity,” radiologist Hamid Hematpour told DW. Colleagues in Iran reported power outages in hospitals following attacks. Since the start of the US-Israeli war in Iran on February 28, 2026, authorities have also shut down most internet connections. “When internet and phone connections are curbed, medical coordination becomes nearly impossible,” Hematpour said, adding that telemedicine consultations have virtually stopped.
Many doctors have fled to northern provinces such as Gilan and Mazandaran on the Caspian Sea, leaving chronically ill patients without contact with their physicians and thus without access to specialized medications. Some medicines require specific temperatures and can spoil during power outages.
Although the Iranian Health Ministry says there are “sufficient strategic reserves,” families describe disruptions in the drug distribution system, and international sanctions complicate procurement. “This is life-threatening for people with haemophilia or rare genetic disorders,” Hematpour warned. “Many of these medications are not freely available on the market anyway and if shortages persist for more than a few weeks, these groups face an irreversible health crisis.”
The Vienna-based doctors fear a further escalation could collapse Iran’s healthcare system. The rising number of war casualties could quickly overwhelm services. In some regions, including the western provinces of Ilam and Kermanshah, shortages have already occurred even for basic medicines and antibiotics, Hematpour added.
“War shakes the foundation of all rights, namely the right to life,” Hassan Nayeb-Hashem told DW. “Once this fundamental right is threatened, further violations follow almost inevitably, such as the right to health and medical care.” He noted that experience from past conflicts shows the injured typically outnumber the dead by three to six times.
According to a World Health Organization report, national health authorities in Iran reported more than 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries since the start of the war. WHO has verified 18 attacks on healthcare facilities, resulting in eight deaths among health workers.
This article was originally published in Farsi.