On the Occasion of Tourism Week, Rokna Reports
Iranian Surgeon: Health Tourism in Iran is a Lifeless Body + Video
Rokna Social Desk: Dr. Hamed Abbasi, an Iranian surgeon and otolaryngologist, criticized the state of health tourism in Iran, stating that sanctions and misguided policymaking have turned this industry into a “lifeless body.” He noted that while regional countries are generating substantial revenues by attracting foreign patients, Iran’s share has almost diminished to zero.
According to Rokna’s social affairs correspondent, Dr. Hamed Abbasi, in an interview with Rokna, highlighted the current condition of health tourism in Iran. He explained: “Years ago, a group of young people established a knowledge-based company with the aim of attracting foreign patients for treatment in Iran. Their initiative began with great promise, but with the intensification of sanctions, the noose tightened and this sector effectively reached a dead end.”
He continued: “The last time I spoke with these entrepreneurs, I realized that their only source of consolation was having access to patient data, which they share with physicians. Inefficient policymaking and the impact of sanctions, in addition to accelerating the migration of doctors, have reduced health tourism in the country to a lifeless entity. It is as if we are living on an island cut off from the world—and we ourselves bear a large share of responsibility for this isolation.”
In conclusion, Abbasi emphasized: “Although some patients, for religious reasons, travel to Iran’s holy cities for pilgrimage and simultaneously receive medical services there, this trend is negligible compared to countries such as Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. It can be said that health tourism in Iran has practically declined to zero.”
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