WHO donates 260,000 packs of intravenous solutions to Islamic Republic of Iran

In response to a temporary shortage of intravenous (IV) fluids in the country, the World Health Organization has procured and delivered 260,000 packs of various types of IV fluids to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The shipment containing US$ 156,000 worth of IV solutions was released from Customs in Bandar Abbas in the southern province of Hormozgan last week and arrived in the capital city of Tehran on Monday, 6 December.

“The supply of these life-saving IV solutions to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education at a time when health systems are under pressure due to COVID-19, will greatly assist the Ministry in providing timely health services to the Iranian community as well as Afghan refugees,” said Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain, WHO Representative and Head of Mission to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It contains 160 000 of ringer’s solution packs, 50 000 sugar solution packs, and 50 000 saline solution packs, all of which are essential to medical care and treatment of various inpatient and outpatient medical conditions.

The procurement is intended to help remedy a brief unavailability of IV fluids following a surge in hospitalized COVID-19 patients during what was called the fifth wave of the epidemic in the country in August and September.

The entire 166-ton shipment of 11 containers was delivered to the Ministry to be further distributed among public medical centres across the country.

IV solutions are used widely and regularly in intravenous therapy, which is a delivery method for fluids and medication, administered through the veins. The fluid that contains vitamins and minerals or medication is delivered via an IV drip or injection into the vein, which allows the therapy to move quickly through the bloodstream.