Largest hospital in Middle East opened in Tehran
Iran has launched a mega hospital dubbed by authorities the largest in the Middle East region as President Ebrahim Raeisi vows his administration will be committed to complete unfinished projects in the country despite financial difficulties caused by sanctions.
Raeisi on Wednesday opened the Mahdi Clinic hospital, a 1,000-bed, 18-storey health complex located in downtown Tehran, Press TV reported.
He said the hospital is the largest healthcare project opened in Iran since the victory of the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Construction of Mahdi Clinic began in 2011, according to official media reports, which state the hospital will benefit from permanent services of some 380 doctors and medical professors.
Raeisi said in a speech after inaugurating the hospital that his government would provide the funds needed to finish infrastructure projects that have stalled in recent years because of US sanctions.
He said services currently provided by Iran’s healthcare sector are incomparable to the past, adding that many provincial capitals in Iran have turned into major health tourism centers in the region.
Raeisi also said that Iran has managed to cut back its reliance on other countries for supplies of medicine and medical equipment.
Figures released on Wednesday showed that the number of new hospital beds launched in Iran since Raeisi’s administration took office in August 2020 had topped 15,000.