According to Mohammad Esmaeil Tavakoli, head of Tehran Province EMS, 31% of the 57,000 emergency calls received during this period were related to pollution-induced health issues.
Speaking on a television program, Tavakoli said EMS has no legal obligation to station ambulances in public squares during pollution episodes, explaining that earlier policies had been revised.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Health is responsible for responding to public health needs, with EMS acting as its pre-hospital arm.
Tavakoli noted that in November, when the latest pollution wave began, EMS received 227,000 calls and conducted 93,000 missions, 22% of which were linked to poor air quality. In the most recent eight-day period, emergency missions rose to 28,000, with cardiac and respiratory complaints making up 31% of cases.
He also highlighted structural shortages, citing a deficit of 400 EMS stations and 500 ambulances in Tehran Province.
Although the system operates helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and 240 motorlances, heavy traffic and the city’s geography limit response capacity.
Tavakoli urged authorities to address systemic gaps and asked the public to trust that emergency services remain fully operational despite the strain.