TEHRAN - Iran has the potential to generate €6 billion annually from medical tourism with proper planning, according to Mohammad-Reza Vaez-Mahdavi, Chairman of Iran’s Scientific Association of Health Economy.

Currently, the country's annual revenue from health tourism stands at €700 million, TABNAK reported.

Mahdavi highlighted Iran’s goal to become a healthcare hub for West Asia in the coming years, which includes plans to export €1 billion worth of vaccines and medical equipment annually.

Iran's current annual exports of medicine amount to €200 million, but Mahdavi believes this figure can easily be scaled up to €1 billion with the right infrastructure and market strategies.

Mahdavi also pointed out the need for better support systems and confidence-building measures for foreign medical tourists.

According to a report released by the Iranian Health Ministry in August 2023, Iran received about one million medical tourists annually, with foreign patients seeking treatments across various specialties. “Every year, one million foreign patients are treated in Iran,” the report stated, underlining the country’s growing influence in the global health sector.

In the last Iranian calendar year, which ended in March 2024, Iran’s medical tourism revenues reached $1 billion. A total of 247 hospitals and medical centers across the country have been specially licensed to cater to international patients.

Most of Iran’s medical tourists come from neighboring countries, such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman, Bahrain, Armenia, and Tajikistan. Iran was ranked 46th in the Medical Tourism Index for 2020-2021, further establishing its presence as a leading destination for affordable yet high-quality healthcare.

AM