More than 500,000 health tourists visit Iran a year

TEHRAN. KAZINFORM – Foreign health tourists who enjoyed Iranian medical services in the last Iranian year (March 21, 2018-March 20, 2019) stood at 500,000 to 550,000, Head of office for health tourism of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education Saeed Hashemzadeh said on Monday, IRNA reports.

Saeed Hashemzadeh said that the number of foreign health tourists visiting Iran in the current Iranian year, definitely be higher, added that about 72,000 of the patients were hospitalized and the rest received outpatient services.

Hashemzadeh said that Iran can host up to 2.5 million heath tourists a year.

He said that 70% of the patients coming to Iran demand services in obstetrics and gynecology, ophthalmology, orthopedics, cardiology, aesthetic medicine, and 30% in other branches of medicine.

He added that the figures are variable in terms of alternative medicine services provided by the hospitals and other medical centers.