TEHRAN – Iranian Health Minister Bahram Einollahi and Labor Ministry Caretaker Mohammad Hadi Zahedi met separately with Turkmen Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Sapardurdy Toylyev, discussing ways to expand cooperation in the fields of health and labor.

Toylyev visited the two officials in Tehran on Tuesday.

In a meeting with Einollahi, Toylyev expressed readiness to cooperate with Iran, especially in the field of health; Because there are great scientists in Iran and the people of Turkmenistan come to Iran to receive medical services.

Referring to the formation of a joint working group to promote health cooperation between the two countries, he stated that the pharmaceutical industry of the two countries is in a good position.

Holding joint scientific conferences can pave the way for developing bilateral relations. Over the past month, three pharmaceutical factories have been opened in Turkmenistan, and medical cooperation between the two countries can be expanded, he added.

Holding joint scientific conferences in the two countries can pave the way for the progress of Iran and Turkmenistan in the field of health, he highlighted.

Toylyev also in a meeting with Zahedi inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate in the fields of social welfare and business development.

Under the MOU, joint entrepreneurship and employment development packages will be developed between the two countries.

Zahedi also announced Iran’s readiness to share its valuable experience in the fields of welfare, technical and vocational training, and social security, with Turkmenistan.

It was also decided to hold joint seminars between the two sides to explain the capacities of the two neighboring countries.

 Health, social welfare

The issue of health has always been one of the main indicators of social welfare and attention to the health of the workforce has been on the agenda of governments.

The Iranian labor law also emphasizes the importance of observing safety and health at work; According to a note in Article 96 of the Labor Law, the Ministry of Health is responsible for planning, controlling, evaluating, and inspecting occupational health and is obliged to take the necessary measures in this regard.

With the cooperation of employers, 110 occupational health houses have been set up and are providing health services to 500,000 workers.

There are currently 3,777 occupational health centers across the country, covering one million workers in the field of physical and mental health.

Based on innovative indicators of health technology development in 2021, Iran was ranked 60th among 132 countries, which shows an improvement of 60 steps compared to 2014, the deputy health minister for research and technology, has announced.

A total of 1,670 knowledge-based firms are operating in the health sector, ISNA quoted Younes Panahi as saying.

He added that there are 13 science and technology parks and 95 technology growth centers in the field of health, while 343 technological products have so far been licensed, and 335 inventions in medical sciences have been patented.

FB/MG