Experts believe that we can earn at least five billion dollars annually from medical tourism.
According to the news magazine Gods Books: Health tourism and medical tourism is the third largest industry in the world after the oil and automobile industry and has a significant impact on the foreign exchange income of countries, as well as valuable capabilities in the field of health and treatment in our country an ideal platform for investment, and according to experts, Iranian health tourism ranks 46th among 110 Countries in the world rankings 2020, according to him, given that a healthy tourist earns between 3 and 5 thousand dollars. If only 200,000 medical tourists entered the country, $1 billion in income would be generated.
Traders put patients’ lives at risk
Muhammad Jahangiri, President of the International Federation of Health Services, in an interview with us, in response to the ministry responsible for health tourism, said: Health tourism is a poetic service that must be identified in different areas and become an ecosystem. Considering this as an ecosystem, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Tourism and the private sector should also work to create a platform for the development of this industry in the country. Industry (including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Cultural Heritage Institute, the Chamber of Commerce and the Medical System Organization) The Health Services Association for Tourism Development was formed as a non-governmental organization under the supervision of the Chamber of Commerce, but there is still a long way to go to reach the desired status in our
Jahangiri adds: Health tourism as a professional work within the system must have clear and precise standards and all facilitators and mediators must work under the supervision of the health tourism system so that they can provide services to patients in a guaranteed manner. Unfortunately, distributors sometimes only think about making money and by providing unreliable services apart from harming the industry, they are putting patients’ lives at risk. Therefore, it is necessary for mediators and facilitators to enter the system and receive the necessary training and identification that the association supports to work professionally in this field as health tourism workers. Therefore, there are currently about 40 health facilitators that are members of the International Health Tourism Services Association, which are active in this field after receiving the necessary recognition and training based on the principles and standards. But unfortunately about 80% of people working in this field work informally and this situation must be managed. Of course this does not mean that brokers will stop working in this industry but they must work according to the official standards set in this field by passing the necessary training and obtaining an Activity ID.
Health tourism process
Seyed Mohammad Akrami, President of the Scientific Society of Medical Genetics of Iran, said in an interview with us: The presence of more than 200 experts in medical genetics in the country has provided a golden opportunity for patients of other countries, especially Iraq and Iraq. Kingdom Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Gulf states, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Iranian Commonwealth countries also remind our experts because of the licenses for medical services.
Referring to the development of modern medical sciences in Iran, a faculty member of Tehran University of Medical Sciences says: Health tourists can use 10 medical services, including diagnostic, preventive and curative services related to genetic diseases, treatment of infertility, cardiovascular and ophthalmic diseases. benefit. . Diagnosis and treatment of cancer, plastic surgery, dentistry, orthopedics, cell therapy and deafness are referred to Iran.
Akrami adds: Health tourism is a specialized process that requires teamwork and careful planning. Therefore, it is necessary to manage health tourism in particular in the Ministry of Health and Cultural Heritage by organizing distributors in this field and providing them with the necessary educational services to develop this industry.
Fear of destroying health tourism
Reda Jamili, one of the activists in the field of educational health tourism and the production of content and information, also says: Before the outbreak of Corona, health tourism was earning one billion dollars annually for the country, and the statistics of this market are promising.
He adds: Until March 2017, more than 400 health tourism establishments were active in the country, but with the spread of the Corona virus, most of the country’s hospitals were at the disposal of Corona patients and were unable to provide health tourism services. The industry suffered a recession of more than 90%. Currently, less than 30 health tourism organizations and about 20 travel service organizations operate in this sector. So, in the era of Corona, two big events happened, namely the market contraction and the reduction of the number of workers in this industry, and now there is a fear of its destruction. As long as the ministries of health and tourism are not coordinated as the guardian of the administrative part of this industry, they will cause more harm to it. By organizing and managing this industry, we can earn at least $5 billion annually by attracting health tourists.
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