Development of health tourism a strategic priority in Mazandaran Province
Iranica Desk
The promotion of health tourism is considered a top priority by senior officials in Mazandaran Province for the current Iranian year, which began on March 21, 2023. This sector is currently undergoing significant development as evidenced by recent data. In April 2023, the former director general of Mazandaran Province’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization emphasized improving the health and medical tourism sector as the primary strategy adopted by the organization in the current year.
The province’s unique natural resources and health care infrastructure make it an ideal destination for health and medical tourists. The province’s Governor General Seyyed Mahmoud Hosseinipour also highlighted the significant efforts being made to develop health and medical tourism in the northern part of the country, emphasizing its importance as an integral part of the province’s overall tourism sector.
In response to the need for developing the sector, several actions have been taken, including the operation of medical centers in cities such as Babol, Sari, and Nowshahr. These centers, both specialized and non-specialized, offer services in cosmetic surgery, ophthalmology, and open-heart surgery to both domestic and foreign tourists, particularly those from the Persian Gulf littoral states.
The deputy chancellor of the Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences has announced that eight hospitals in the province are equipped to admit foreign health tourists. Both public and private hospitals are actively preparing to receive medical tourists.
Kazem Mahmoudi also specified that Khatam Hospital in Behshahr specializes in ophthalmology, Fatemeh Zahra (PBUH) Hospital in Sari in heart disease, Sari’s Imam Khomeini (RA) Hospital in oncology and infertility, and Ramsar and Chalus hospitals are ready to admit foreign patients in the fields of surgery and gastroenterology.
Emphasizing the high capacity of medical services, Hosseinipour stated: “We have specialist physicians in this field, which presents a great opportunity that we should capitalize on.”
Hossein Izadi, the director general of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization of Mazandaran Province, also announced, “A strategic committee has been established for health tourism in the province.”
He further explained, “The primary focus of the committee is to streamline health tourism in the province in order to achieve tourism goals, and this matter has been given significant consideration and emphasis.”
Taking into account the emphasis made by the minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, as well as the governor general of Mazandaran Province, he said, “Regarding its significant potential, investors select this province for making investments.”
He also emphasized the need for increased communication between tour and travel agencies, universities of medical sciences, medical centers, and hospitals in the province to ensure that both parties can benefit from each other’s activities and capacities.
He continued, “With the establishment of the strategic committee for health tourism in Mazandaran Province and the selection of members, efforts have been made to include a representative from tour and travel agencies, private and public hospitals in this committee.”
Izadi said, “Out of 198 travel agencies active in Mazandaran Province, 12 have received licenses to accept health tourists, and six others are in the process.”
He further added that 10 hospitals in Mazandaran Province have received the IPD license, allowing them to engage in health tourism activities.
The IPD license stands for International Patient Department. Obtaining this license is mandatory for hospitals and clinics intending to admit international patients. In fact, it can be said that only hospitals that have obtained the IPD license can engage in medical tourism activities.