TEHRAN –The number of international travelers seeking medical services in Iran rose 200 percent in the first half of the current Iranian year in comparison to the same period before the coronavirus era, a tourism official has said.

“Compared to two and a half years ago when we were facing the coronavirus situation in the country, today we are witnessing a 200% jump in the arrival of medical tourists,” Hossein Nikounam said on Saturday.

The official, however, did not mention the number of arrivals during the period.

Based on available data, the Islamic Republic attracted more than 125,000 international patients who received medical services during the first quarter of the current Persian calendar year. The majority of those travelers came from Iraq, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Persian Gulf littoral states.

Earlier this year, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the Islamic Republic is a regional hub for medical tourism. “Our scientific and medical ranking is acknowledged by international officials,” he added, saying Iran can rightly claim that it is a hub of health services.

Iran has a perfect position in the region and the world in terms of medical sciences as many Iranian cities are considered “health hubs,” Raisi said, addressing a Tehran conference to pay tribute to the Iranian medical society.

Iran hosts an average of one million medical tourists each year. “About one million medical tourists, mainly from the neighboring countries, arrive in Iran annually.

Experts say medical tourism in Iran is a win-win opportunity both for the country and foreign patients, as they are offered affordable yet quality treatment services and the country gains considerable foreign currency. Amongst Iran’s trump cards are the presence of credible surgeons and physicians, cutting-edge medical technologies, high-tech medicine and diverse specializations, super affordable procedures, and finally its hospitable people.

Credible surgeons and physicians, cutting-edge medical technologies, high-tech medicine, diverse specializations, super affordable procedures, and finally hospitable people constitute Iran’s trump cards to be a major hub for medical tourism.

Iranian hospitals offer a wide variety of medical services such as eye surgeries and services, cardiovascular surgeries especially pediatric heart surgery, bone marrow transplantation, gynecologic and obstetric surgery, oncologic services, cerebrospinal surgery, orthopedic surgery (total knee & total hip replacement, etc.), and urologic surgery, and so many other services.

The country seeks to exceed its yearly medical travelers to around two million in [calendar year] 1404 (March 2025-March 2026).

AM