If you remember, the topic of our discussion for a couple of weeks was the industry of health tourism in the Islamic Republic of Iran. This week, we’re going to continue our discussion. Today, with the industrialization of countries and emergence of new physical and psychological diseases, health tourism has become one of the growing sections of global tourism industry.

According to the statistics of the World Tourism Organization, one job is created for the host country by attracting seven foreign tourists; while this figure is four jobs for health tourism.

According to the reports of World Health Organization, the Islamic Republic of Iran is one of best options for attracting health tourists due to its high standards of medical services, the low cost of the services, the presence of professional medical personnel and developed medical infrastructures. Among the characteristics making the Islamic Republic an appropriate destination for health tourism, mention can be made of professional centers for diagnosing and treating diseases, hospitals equipped with advanced facilities, professional and skillful physicians, expert surgeons and teams, advanced surgery operations including cardiovascular and brain as well as transplanting kidney, heart, bone marrow, and skin. Various dental services are also given with the highest quality.

In many cities and towns across Iran, a tourist can receive all these medical services. One of the Iranian cities which enjoys a high standard in medical services is Shiraz. Shiraz is located in the southern province of Fars. This cultural and historical city is considered as one of the target markets of Iran in the field of medical tourism.

The Iranian city of Shiraz which is four thousand years old, has been recognized as the hub for medical tourism in southern Iran for several decades. It is host to thousands of patients from around the world especially from the Persian Gulf littoral states every year.

There are tens of highly equipped and advanced specialty and sub-specialty hospitals with a vast range of medical services and experienced and skillful doctors. Regarding the quality of the treatment services and compliance with international standards, the hospitals in Shiraz are under the supervision of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and Shiraz Medical Council.

Foreign patients coming to these hospitals can refer to one of these organizations to get informed about their legal rights. Some special services offered to the patients include, organ transplantation including liver, renal, pancreas, and bone marrow transplant, cerebral vascular angioplasty, hepatic artery angioplasty, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for various cancers, eye surgery, slimming services and skin and cosmetic surgery, cardiovascular surgery, hip and knee orthopedics and arthroplasty, infertility treatment through Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS), is one of the largest and most reputable universities in Iran and West Asia, as well as the main hub of liver transplantation in West Asia, the hub of clinical immunology, clinical microbiology, and electronic education in Iran. It is a combination of traditional and modern medicine, aiming at training top students preparing them to practice their skills all over the world by offering high-quality education and research and provision of a proper intellectual environment.

Among the prominent hospitals in the field of cardiovascular treatments mention can be made of Jawad ul-A'ima hospital. The hospital was established in 1370 on an area of 9645 square meters in the holy city of Mashhad. With 200 beds, 20 specialized fellowship, 9 sub-specialists, 11 general practitioners, and using advanced equipment, Jawad ul-A'ima heart hospital is one of the unique centers in West Asia. This hospital includes 518 members and on average about 10,961 patients are hospitalized in it every year, 1,153 surgeries are operated and 5,777 cases of angiography are performed at this center.

Furthermore, this center is proud to receive tens of foreign patients every year.

Given the referring foreign patients to the hospital, the hospital's management board decided to open the Health Tourism Office for admission and more comfortable residence of the said patients; hence the diplomatic section was opened in 2015. Thus, foreign patients can connect with this center and benefit from its facilities at reasonable prices.

Another specialty hospital in the holy city of Mashhad, which is an appropriate destination for patients, is Razavi hospital. Razavi hospital was built in an area of 369 hectares in 5 floors during the first phase. As a result of environmental issues, 36 hectares are used for green space. In less than 5 years, the officials of the Razavi Hospital made efforts to promote health tourism alongside current medical activities. The second phase of the hospital was constructed in an area of 37,500 square meters distributed in 4 floors. The latest engineering technology has been applied in the construction. In 2013, the hospital beds increased to 300. Very soon, Razavi Hospital catapulted to fame to achieve the first rank. The different wards of the hospital are controlled by different inspectors of supervisory organization to ensure the Iranian and foreign patients that the latest standards and protocols are used in their treatment. Hence, the hospital succeeded to receive ACI Platinum Certificate in 2013. Meanwhile, Diamond Certification, the highest Accreditation of Canada International(ACI) was awarded to Razavi Hospital in 2015.

AE/RM/SS