TEHRAN - Iranian officials from multiple ministries and government bodies met on Tuesday at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts to review a draft regulation aimed at strengthening coordination in the country's medical tourism and supporting plans to expand the sector.

The meeting brought together Aboutorab Talebi, secretary of the government's cultural and social commission, Deputy Tourism Minister Anoushirvan Mohseni Bandpey, Diako Abbasi, secretary of the medical tourism steering council at the tourism ministry, Jamshid Kermanchi, head of the medical tourism office at the Ministry of Health, Hossein Nekounam, head of the Iran health tourism society, and representatives of other government agencies, IRIB reported.

Participants reviewed the draft regulation, which has been signed by First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, and discussed the responsibilities of the ministries and organizations involved in implementing the proposed framework.

Under the draft, a medical tourism development steering council would be established to oversee policymaking, planning and coordination among the relevant agencies. The council would be chaired by the health minister, while the deputy tourism minister would serve as its secretary.

Officials said the regulation is being prepared to establish integrated management of the sector, strengthen interagency coordination, organize the medical tourism service chain, improve Iran's health tourism brand and support the country's aim to become a regional hub for medical and health services.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts under Iran's Seventh Development Plan, which targets attracting more than 2 million medical tourists annually and increasing medical tourism revenues to about $6 billion.

AM