TEHRAN — Some Asian and European countries, namely South Korea, Japan, China, and Italy have offered building hospitals in Iran, Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said.

“We are trying to create a competitive atmosphere for investors in hospital construction to get the best offers that benefit both people and the country,” Harirchi told IRNA news agency on Monday.

“As we tend to keep the environment competitive we don’t want to reveal any details yet,” he said, adding “we have already signed memorandums with these countries but so far none has turned into a contract.”

“We are in serious shortage of hospital beds and we at least need some 100,000 beds to reach an acceptable condition,” he lamented, adding “we have already negotiated for 10,000 hospital beds.”

Investment in hospital construction is not an easy task to accomplish worldwide and in almost all cases long term contracts defining the tariffs and the return on the investments must be drawn up, he explained.

Ebrahim Raeesiyuon, the economic advisor to the health minister, has earlier said that 60 foreign companies offered for investment in building hospital in Iran and so far Samsung and Daewoo, two Korean companies, and Italian Pesina Company have signed memorandums of understanding with Iran.

According to the MOU with Pesina Company two 500-bed hospitals, one in Rasht, Gilan province, and the other in Neishabur, Khorasan Razavi province, and a 1000-bed hospital in Tehran will be constructed, Raeesiyuon said.

Samsung has also committed to build a 1000-bed hospital in Tehran, he noted, adding soon the contract for the construction of this hospital will be finalized.

MQ