TEHRAN – The number of medical tourists visiting Iran is around one million people per annum, an official with Health Ministry has said.“Every year, one million foreign patients are treated in Iran,” Mohammad-Hossein Niknam, who presides over the ministry’s department for international cooperation, said on Monday.“We consider this sector as health diplomacy, which is a suitable platform to develop the country’s international interactions.”Niknam said his department follows three main policies to increase the country’s share in the world’s $100 billion market.“Our policies on the medical sector concerns internationalization of our capacities, playing an effective role to draw patients, particularly from the neighboring countries, and the development of scientific and economic cooperation to increase the country’s share in the international health market.”According to Saeid Karimi, the deputy minister of health, Iran’s medical tourism revenues reached $1 billion during the past Iranian calendar year (ended on March 20), adding: “247 hospitals and medical centers have been granted special licenses for medical tourism.”“People from the neighboring countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman, Bahrain, Armenia, and Tajikistan, constitute the lion’s share of medical tourists arriving in Iran.”The Islamic Republic has been ranked 46th destination for medical tourism [within the 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index], he added.Experts say Iran’s Medical tourism is a win-win opportunity both for the country and foreign patients, as they are offered affordable yet quality treatment services and the country gains considerable foreign currency.The Islamic Republic is known in the world as an affordable destination for health tourism, and the government is making a great effort to attract more medical tourists in the years to come.Credible surgeons and physicians, cutting-edge medical technologies, high-tech medicine and diverse specializations, super affordable procedures, and finally its hospitable people, are considered Iran’s trump card when it comes to medical tourism.AFM