Health tourism, our neglect and the progress of competing countries

Health tourism, which is also referred to as “medical tourism” and “health tourism”, is a great opportunity to earn significant foreign exchange earnings, which due to the country’s neglect of this field and leaving the field to competing countries, is It’s giving up.

Before the emergence of Corona, health tourism was supposed to become the first prosperous and profitable industry in the first step by 2030 and in the next step by 2050, during a global program, but the Corona pandemic caused disruption and disruption of the equations in the realization of this plan. , although it did not succeed in stopping it completely, because in the post-corona era, although the number of health tourists has dropped seriously, at the same time, we are witnessing the leap growth of some countries in this branch of the tourism industry.

According to IRNA, our country’s neglect of promoting health tourism, neglecting advertising and neglecting introduction, marketing, etc. during the 2-year period of the Corona outbreak, has now shown its effects on this field, and our presence and activity due to the arrival and emergence of powerful Competing countries, including Turkey and Jordan, have been exposed to serious threats and limitations in this area.

The corona epidemic has faced a serious threat to the life of health tourism, like many fields and sectors, and reduced it to the lowest possible level, and this process has progressed to the point that the amount of damage caused by the corona virus to this part of the country’s tourism in the last 2 years is 2 billion Dollars are estimated.

Before that, this booming industry was known as the third largest revenue-generating industry in the world, after the two oil and automobile industries, but as if the relaunch of this currency-earning industry train of other countries, including Turkey, in these 2 years, has gathered strength and energy. They have taken a long leap for powerful presence in this field, as if the monopoly of Mashhad, as the tourism hub of the region, has lost color and is no longer sustainable, and the presence of big and powerful competitors in this field is becoming more prominent.

Experts in the economic field are unanimous on this principle that the health tourism industry has a significant impact on foreign exchange earnings of countries and will become the first industry in the world in the near future due to the importance of treatment and health in human societies.

In particular, the World Tourism Organization (WTO) defines health tourism as the use of services that lead to improving or increasing the health and morale of a person (using mineral waters, climate or medical interventions) that resides in a place. It is outside his place of residence and usually lasts more than 24 hours.

The role and name of Iran and Mashhad in the field of medical tourism due to the high level of medical equipment, the cheapness of the services, the presence of capable specialists in the field of medicine, etc., made our country one of the desirable and attractive destinations for health tourists and patients before the spread of the Corona virus. had become foreigners who were looking for therapeutic and beauty practices; Of course, these capacities still exist in the country and in the metropolis of Mashhad, and they can still be seen as a unique opportunity, before this opportunity is threatened and lost due to the activities of competing countries in the region.

Experience the resurgence of health tourism this year

The head of the professional health tourism society of the country stated that after the spread of general vaccination and the fading of the spread of the corona virus, we have witnessed new blood flowing in the veins of health tourism in Iran and the countries of the region, and said: the revival of medical tourism in the new era is accompanied by differences. It was realized that we should act by recognizing and giving importance to them in order to reach the previous position.

Hossein Nikunam continued: Since 1400, we have almost come out of a challenging situation regarding the arrival of health tourists, and since April this year, we have seen growth in this area.

He said: This favorable situation in the months of May to August was in a very good condition, so that in terms of arrival statistics in this sector, we approached the situation of the first half of 2018, of course, more than 80% of the arrival of our health tourists came from the origin. It was the country of Iraq.

Protests are another fatal blow to health tourism

Nikunam stated that since the beginning of September, we have seen a noticeable drop in the arrival of tourists, the main reason of which was the coincidence of the Arbaeen ceremony.

He continued: After the days of Arbaeen, the beginning of unrest in the country had a negative impact on the arrival of health tourists from Iraq and Afghanistan, so we can safely say that this situation has brought us to the challenging conditions of this industry in the days of Corona. return

He emphasized: industrial health tourism is delicate, delicate and very sensitive, so the smallest economic, security and even health tension in the countries of the target market and the host country, causes tension in the arrival of tourists.

Nikonam added: The recent disturbances in the country seriously damaged the health tourism body in the country and Mashhad, and since the end of September and the month of Mehr, the number of tourists arriving from Iraq and other countries in the region to our country has decreased by more than 80%.

He continued: In the area of ​​the arrival of health tourists from Europe, this was more profound, so that now we are witnessing a decrease of more than 90 to 95 percent of their arrival.

The head of Khorasan health tourism professional society Razavi stated: This situation is such that the previously booked times of tourists in this sector have been canceled widely during this period, and once again we are witnessing serious damage to this industry, while many Some of the companies had strengthened their infrastructure in terms of human resources, but with this condition, they again experienced a strong negative feedback.

Nikonam added: Imposing huge costs and stopping the implementation of development plans, stopping large domestic and foreign investors in this area are other damages inflicted on this industry.

He continued: Slowing down the implementation and development of health tourism towns is one of the other harms of the recent situation, and it is necessary for the country’s officials to pay attention to this matter.

Competing competing countries on the Iranian market

Pointing to another unpleasant event in the field of health tourism and Iran’s target market in this regard, Nikonam said: the powerful entry of other countries into this field and serious efforts to attract health tourists in the region is one of the most important challenges and threats to our foreign exchange income from this sector. .

He called the entry and serious presence of Turkey in the field of health tourism surprising and continued: this country is influencing the world and regional market in the field of health tourism with detailed planning and good management in the government sector as well as excellent support from the private sector. And especially to capture the Iranian market in this industry, it shows a diligent effort.

This health tourism activist added: The situation has become such that even sometimes Afghan health tourists pass through Iran and travel to Turkey to use health services by spending multiple times, and the main reason for this is the stability in that country. .

He clarified: Now with these conditions, we leave the health of Iraqi tourists to this country due to the high level of services and extensive advertising by Turkey, and this situation is painful.

Little Jordan attracted three billion dollars in currency

The head of the country’s health tourism professional society said: even a country like Jordan, with its very small size, with 65 hospitals and a low percentage of beds, has managed to attract three billion dollars in health tourism in the past year. While our country has only attracted a few hundred million dollars in foreign exchange during this period.

He continued: This is despite the fact that we only have 1,800 beds in Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, but the total number of hospital beds in many countries in the region does not even reach 2,000 to 3,000 beds.

Nikonam stated: This is in the context that according to the announcement of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iran’s contribution to this industry is estimated at 10 billion dollars per year, and while a country like Jordan, which is the size of an Iranian city, has succeeded in obtaining Three billion dollars have been earned, but Iran’s share is very small.

He said: Health tourism capacities in Iran and Mashhad are very high, but due to the lack of planning and inconsistency between the ministries and the non-professional private sector, in such a situation, political and security challenges have also increased and we are witnessing irreparable damage to this industry.

Health tourism market, Dalalan Jolangah

Nikonam considered another challenge in the field of health tourism to be the presence and activity of unauthorized brokers and guides, which cause severe damage to their dignity and continued: this group, in addition to the cultural and prestige consequences they have, causes economic consequences and damages to this They become domains.

He continued: In the field of organizing brokers, translators and guides (leaders), no serious action has been taken by the trustees and government agencies, and the private sector does not have the ability to manage, deal with, and discipline unauthorized brokers and guides.

He stated: “In the cities of Mashhad, Qom and Shiraz, we see the serious presence of these brokers in the airports, whose activities continue to medical centers and doctors’ offices, but no effective action has been taken by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and universities of sciences. Medicine is not done to fix this part.

Pointing out that the activity of Iraqi brokers is a phenomenon that imposes a bigger challenge, and that is the outflow of currency and income from the health tourism sector abroad, which deals a fatal blow to our foreign currency income, Nikonam said: This group of Although the brokers are very few and there are about 200 or more people based in Mashhad, but they control more than 30-40% of the health tourists and they pocket the income from this sector and finally take it out of the country and our people They will not benefit from this income.

The head of Khorasan health tourism professional society, Razavi said: 6 thousand brokers and translators have been identified in Mashhad, of which 700 are people who are working in compliance with the minimum cultural and communication principles.

He continued: At the same time, we are witnessing the presence of seasonal guides and translators in Mashhad, who have entered cities such as Mashhad, Qom, Tehran, and Shiraz from the southern provinces, and, ignoring the cultural consequences and the loss of tourists’ trust, are taking advantage of tourists financially. And they receive large sums of money from them, which is a serious challenge and damage and has irreparable consequences.

Serving 21 thousand health tourists in Mashhad

The Director of Health Tourism of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences stated that the number of health tourists in this university increased by 80% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, and added: In this period of time, 21,354 health tourists from the following medical centers and hospitals They have received medical services under the cover of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

Daoud Khoshshakan continued: 10 thousand 958 health tourists have benefited from inpatient and surgical medical services and 10 thousand 396 tourists have also benefited from outpatient hospital and surgical medical services.

The Director of Health Tourism of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences said: During this period, 9,267 health tourists have used hospital inpatient services and 1,691 health tourists have used surgical inpatient services.

Khoshshekan added: Also, during this period, 8,946 health tourists were provided outpatient hospital services and 1,450 tourists were provided with surgical outpatient services.

He continued: Most of the health tourists of the province were from the countries of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Tajikistan, 66% of them were women and the rest were men.

The Director of Health Tourism of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences stated: In the first 6 months of this year, these health tourists received medical services in the eye, heart, gynecology, obstetrics, orthopedics, and beauty departments from medical centers licensed for ipd (health tourism) under the cover of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. have benefited

Health tourism license for 20 specialized clinics

Khoshshekan stated that so far 20 specialized clinics of the province have received a health tourism license and nearly 30 clinics are waiting in line to receive this license, adding: Specialized clinics and offices approved by the medical system can get a license to attract health tourists and this issue Another capability of the field of health tourism is Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

He continued: Providing services without intermediaries to health tourists, placing a cultural attachment for this industry and providing medical services along with honoring health tourism is one of the most important actions in the field of health tourism.

The Director of Health Tourism of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences stated: Improving the quality of the services provided and honoring the client is one of the issues that has satisfied the health tourists, and we believe that every health tourist can act as an ambassador, so we hope By continuing this process, we will be able to host 60,000 health tourists in the province by the end of the year.

Khoshshekan added: Of course, the number of health tourists in the province has decreased under the influence of the recent unrest and its exaggeration by foreign media.