In this article, we decided to talk about health tourism in Iran. First of all, let to talk about the term health tourism. There are different definitions for health tourism. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) specifically defines health tourism as:
“Use of services that improve or increase the health of an individual (using mineral waters, weather, or medical interventions) which takes place outside of a person’s residence and take along more than 24 hours.”
In simple words, health tourism, which is also known as medical tourism, too, refers to persons traveling to improve health or receive medical treatment and even fitness.
Health tourism in Iran
The motivation of travelers for treatment and receiving medical interventions in Iran is very high that Statistics showed in 2015, health tourism made over $500 million for the country.
Although these reports show people who travel to Iran with medical motivation, travelers who travel to Iran for plastic surgery and other medical treatments will not be registered with the Ministry of Health. Even some doctors and hospitals hospitalize foreign patients without registering information. As a result, all of this indicates that medical tourism in Iran is about 1% globally.
The main benefit of Health tourism in Iran is the cheapness of services compared to other countries, especially in European and American countries. Although India currently has the first place in offering the cheapest services, with the entry of Iran into the Health tourism market according to better facilities and professional medical assistance, Iran will have the ability to attract tourists more than India.
Why Iran?
Iran has achieved the most advanced technology, knowledge, and modern medical facilities, accordingly, Iran has become one of the world’s important medical centers in recent decades.
Also, today, Iran’s name can be seen along with countries like America, Canada, and European countries in treatment.
The medical field of Iran has a wide network of hospitals equipped with modern facilities, so it includes a range of new medical treatments.
Health Tourism in Iran and Medical Capabilities
To provide health services, Iran has various capabilities in different fields. This will help the development of medical tourism in Iran. Some of the capabilities of Health tourism in Iran, combined with scientific potential and other components of tourism, include:
- An expert and well-known international medical staff
- Availability of well-equipped and advanced hospitals and clinics in the zone
- Appropriate prices for treatment and medical services compared to other countries
- Significant success in specialized medical fields such as infertility treatment, cardiovascular surgery, plastic surgery, and eye surgery
- Unrivaled geographic location and climatic variation in different parts of the country
- Existence of hot springs, mineral waters, freshwater lakes, and saline …
- Historic, cultural, nature, tourism, and pilgrimage attractions
- powerful culture and beliefs in hospitality
- traditional medicine knowledge
Health Tourism in Iran and Main Medical Services
A wide range of medical services under international standards and the latest medical achievements are provided in the Health tourism field in Iran. Some of them are as follows:
- Diagnostic services
- Check-up services
- Outpatient treatment services
- Surgery and hospital services
- Post-treatment follow-up
- rehabilitation services
- Auxiliary treatment services (mud therapy, use of mineral water, etc.)
Medical tourism in Iran & Services
Cardiovascular
The Iranian medical community has significant skills in cardiovascular diseases: Open heart surgery, Angioplasty, Irregularities, and slow heart rate, Angiography of the heart.
Plastic and cosmetic surgery
Iran also is one of the most privileged countries in the field of cosmetic surgery. Some of the most common cosmetic surgeries in Iran are nose surgery, abdominal surgery, Breast implant, facial lifting, and Hair Transplant.
Infertility Services
In the field of infertility services, Iran’s medical community has significant capabilities. Some of these services include: IVF, ICSI, IVI
Ophthalmology
Ophthalmology is one of the most successful parts of Iran’s science and medical technology. The most notable examples are: Cataracts, Strabismus, LASIK, Glaucoma, Refractive Errors
Orthopedic
In the field of orthopedic capability, there is a significant level of Iranian orthopedic physicians: Hip Dislocation, Dislocated Knee Symptoms, Arthritis
Organ transplantation
Different Organ transplantation in parts of the body according to the latest international standards and modern technologies is also done in Iran.
This is one of the important strengths of the Iranian medical society’s knowledge. The most notable examples are: Kidney, Liver, Cornea, bone marrow
Otorhinolaryngology
In the field of Otorhinolaryngology, the following can also be noted: Treatment of Deafness, Cochlear implants, Audiometry, and hearing aids.
Other surgeries
Various surgeries in Iran are done by specialists, including the following: Neurosurgery, Colon and Rectal Surgery, Types of fractures, Types of burns, Obstetrics, and Gynecology.
Other treatments
Iran has many capabilities in treating many other diseases, which can be summarized as follows: Neurology, Nephrology, and Dialysis, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Endocrinology, Metabolism, neurology, and psychiatry.
Paraclinical services
Paraclinical services in Iran also have considerable standards, which include the following:
Laboratory, Sonography, Radiography, Mammography, Echocardiography, Electrocardiography, angiography, Electroencephalography, endoscopy, Bronchoscopy, Colonoscopy, MRI, Scan, CT scan, Audiometry, Physiotherapy, nuclear medicine.
Iranian Health Tourism Attractions
Hydrotherapy
One of the most important attractions of medical tourism in Iran is Hydrotherapy. Also, it is very popular in health tourism. According to statistics, about 45 million tourists in the world use Hydrotherapy as their treatment. With more than 1,000 known mineral springs, Iran is one of the most attractive countries in the zone.
Hydrotherapy is used for improving skin lesions, joint pains, sciatica, strengthening muscles, warming up, and increasing the body’s moisture content.
Mud Therapy
Mud Therapy in health tourism has a good place. With convenient facilities such as the shores of Urmia Lake or the hillside of Taftan Mountain, Iran is also ready to be a tourist destination in this field.
Urmia Lake Sludge has many Minerals, Especially Chlorine, Sulfate, sulfur, iodine, iron, and organic materials. It is one of the high-grade Medical Sludge in the world. For this reason, it can be one of the good destinations for medical tourism in Iran.
Salt Therapy and Speleotherapy
One of the attractions that recently has attracted international tourists is Speleotherapy and salt therapy. The main properties of salt therapy, are as follows:
for the treatment of respiratory diseases, asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis, and common colds. Iran with several salt domes can become one of the hubs in this field of Health Tourism.
Traditional Medicine
Persian medicine dates back to about 3,000 years ago. In traditional medicine, all-natural elements, such as herbal, mineral, and animal, treat diseases. Also, herbal therapy is one of the conventional medicine subcategories.
In Iran, about 8,000 Herb species are known, of which 1800 to 2300 species have therapeutic effects. Therefore, Iran could be the new hub for Traditional medicine in the region and even the world.
Capacities of Health Tourism in Iran:
Iran’s Natural Attractions for Health Tourism
Iran has taken good steps in attracting healthy tourists in recent years. Due to having natural resources skilled physicians and, modern medical services.
Health tourism capacity in Iran includes:
Health tourism in Iran with Natural Attractions
Hot springs and mineral waters
Iran has 40 regions and 350 mineral water springs. These springs dispersed mainly in the two mountains of Alborz and Zagros. Mostly the spa springs of Iran are located in 4 districts of Ardabil, Larijani, Hormozgan, and Ramsar.
The most important spa area in Iran is Ardabil. There are 100 mineral water springs in Ardabil province, of which 22 of them are being exploited. Only in Sarein are 11 springs near each other. In this area, there are many supplies and services for public use of the spa springs.
Hot springs are one of the most important attractions of medical tourism in Iran.
Salt domes
As we said, one of the attractions that have recently attracted international tourists is Speleotherapy. Breathing in the space of these domes can be effective in treating diseases such as bronchitis, heart disease, hypothyroidism, and so on.
Some of the most important salty attractions of health tourism in Iran include:
- Salt Mountain or Jashk salt dome (Dashti), the bride of the Poundworld’s mountains, is one the largest, most active, and beautiful salt domes in the Middle East.
- The Konar siah salt dome in the south of Shiraz
- Madar salt dome in Hormozgan
Uremia Lake
The chlorotic water of Urmia Lake is very effective in the treatment of some diseases. The most notable examples are:
Delayed Stabilization on Fracture, rheumatic diseases, neurological diseases, and various diseases of women. Also, Urmia Lake mud has many properties and abundant healing effects.
Health Tourism in Iran with Unnatural Attractions
On top of that, Iran has high capabilities in fertility treatment, stem cells, dialysis, heart surgery, cosmetic surgery, and ophthalmology.
- As the heart of Iran, Tehran City, due to having international doctors and well-equipped hospitals, is one of the main destinations for medical tourism in Iran. Health tourists travel to this city for medical services in fertility, dentistry, ophthalmology, cell therapy, and skin.
- Mashhad City is one of the major health tourism destinations in West Asia and the Middle East because hospitals in Mashhad are among the best hospitals in the zone.
- Kish Island is one of the most desirable destinations for tourists. This city has Relatively high levels of life and services with specific climatic conditions in 9 months of the year. Also, Hospitals and health tourism sites have turned this city into one of the health tourism centers in Iran.
- Yazd City is one of the most important infertility centers in the Middle East. If you plan to receive treatment outside of your country, we recommend choosing Iran. You experience modern health tourism in Iran.
You can be treated by experienced physicians in the most well-equipped hospitals in Iran and visit historical monuments and attractions.
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