TEHRAN — A hospital which was damaged over last year’s devastating earthquake of Kermanshah, western Iran, was reopened on Thursday, ISNA news agency reported. 

On November 12, 2017, a destructive earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale hit Sarpol-e Zahab in the western province of Kermanshah. Some 90,000 houses were partly or completely damaged by the tremor. Sadly, the quake took some 660 lives and left more than 10,000 injured.

Shohaday-e Sarpol-e Zahab hospital, which was seriously damaged over the powerful temblor, was reconstructed and retrofitted and finally reopened with Iranian Health Minister Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi in attendance. 

Hossein Rahimi, the caretaker chief of the hospital explained that reconstruction project of the hospital started since the quake struck and some 200 billion rials (nearly $4.7 million) was allocated to the project. 

Some 125 billion rials (nearly $3 million) was spent on retrofitting and reconstruction of the hospital and the remaining sum was spent on equipping the hospital, he highlighted. 

Moreover, the number of beds in the hospital increased from 56 to 71, Rahimi added. 

He also stated that a dialysis ward is also up and running in the healthcare center. 

MQ/MG