Saeed Namaki (Persian: سعید نمکی) is an Iranian politician and pharmacist. He is assistant professor of immunology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. He served as minister of Health and Medical Education from 3 January 2019 to 25 August 2021,[1] where he replaced Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi. He had previously served as the vice-president in Plan and Budget Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran (PBO).

Saeed Namaki
سعید نمکی
Namaki in 2020
Minister of Health and Medical Education
In office
4 February 2019 – 25 August 2021
Acting: 3 January – 4 February 2019
PresidentHassan Rouhani
Preceded byHassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi
Succeeded byBahram Eynollahi
Personal details
Born
Saeed Namaki

(1958-06-14) 14 June 1958 (age 66)
Tehran, Iran
OccupationAssistant professor of immunology at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
ProfessionPharmacist
CabinetRouhani Cabinet

COVID-19 pandemic

edit

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran, Saeed Namaki held a special parliamentary session on 25 February 2020 which included parliamentarian Ahmad Amirabadi Farahani, who had claimed a day earlier that Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) COVID-19 death statistics were vastly underestimated, with 50 deaths in Qom rather than the official count of 12 deaths in the whole of Iran. Staff testing body temperatures prior to the meeting requested Amirabadi Farahani and two other members of parliament to excuse themselves from the meeting and self-quarantine. All three declined the request and participated in the meeting with Saeed Namaki.[2][3]

In February 2020 a letter was published on social media about his resignation which was declined, subsequently.[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ "وزارت بهداشت، درمان و آموزش پزشكي". behdasht.gov.ir. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Legislator from Iran's Qom alleges virus coverup". Al Jazeera English. 2020-02-24. Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  3. ^ "About 50 dead from coronavirus in Qom, Health Minister to blame: Iran MP on ILNA". Al Arabiya. 2020-02-25. Archived from the original on 2020-02-25. Retrieved 2020-02-25.
  4. ^ "Health min. rejects his resignation". 24 February 2020.
edit