TEHRAN – The third international medical, dental, and pharmaceutical equipment exhibition, known as Iran Med, kicked off in Tehran on Thursday with the participation of around 300 domestic and foreign companies from 35 countries.

Supported by the ministries of health and industry, as well as the Food and Drug Administration, the event will run till October 20, aiming to promote innovation, quality, and sustainability in the medical equipment supply chain, IRNA reported.

The exhibition has provided a great opportunity for the participants to showcase their latest products in different fields like Dental Equipment and Tools, Dental Imaging Equipment, Orthodontic Products, Prosthetic Solutions, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Equipment, Infection Control Equipment, Disposable Dental Supplies, Hygiene Products, Diagnostic and Treatment Equipment, Disinfectants and Disposable Products, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy Equipment, hospital furniture and clothing, stretchers, wheelchairs, air conditioning equipment, ambulances, Laboratory Supplies and Containers.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, several specialized conferences will be held in the fields of nuclear medicine and medical equipment.

Self-sufficiency in medicine, medical equipment is a priority

The issue of medicine and medical equipment production and self-sufficiency in these areas is one of the government’s priorities, Health Minister Mohammad-Reza Zafarqandi has said.

Medicine and medical equipment are two important areas related to people’s health, he said, adding: “We are trying to reach self-sufficiency for the supply of medicine and medical equipment,” IRNA reported

On January 13, the head of Iran’s Union of Medical Equipment Manufacturers and Exporters said that medical equipment worth around $20 million is exported to more than 60 countries annually.

More than 70 percent of medical equipment and 100 percent of normal hospital beds are domestically made, IRNA quoted Abdolreza Yaqoubzadeh as saying.

Also, over 95 percent of specific ICU and CCU beds and more than 85 percent of operating room medical equipment, such as anesthesia machines and other equipment, are manufactured with cutting-edge technology in the country, he added.

Yaqoubzadeh went on to say that the country’s need for medical equipment production is three to four billion dollars per year, some one billion dollars of which is imported.

Some 600 medical equipment companies are active in the country, producing around 99 percent of the medicine supplied to the domestic market.

Medical equipment manufacturers in the country produce and supply over 10,000 types of medical equipment to domestic and foreign markets. Now, various pieces of laboratory equipment are manufactured at prices much lower than the same foreign products.

MT/MG