TEHRAN- Health Minister Bahram Einollahi said on Thursday that the country’s first health attaché will be dispatched to Iraq soon.

“The health attaché will strengthen the cooperation and implementation of health agreements between the two countries,” Einollahi said in a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Salih Al-Hasnawi in Baghdad.

"Negotiations between the two countries have been finalized and soon we will send our health attaché to Baghdad to develop health and medical cooperation between the two countries,” IRNA quoted Einollahi as saying.

In July, the two ministers signed a memorandum of understanding in Tehran, promoting health diplomacy by boosting relations in the field of medical education and treatment.

The Iraqi official called for importing Iranian technology and expertise in medicine.

“We started registering Iranian medicine in 2003. Thousands of Iraqi students are studying in Iran in various fields,” he added.

Einollahi, for his part, said that the fifth joint committee for economic cooperation was held two months ago, with the issue of health as one of the main topics of discussion.

“It was decided that the pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies of the two countries should cooperate more with each other.”

Health attachés

On July 16, Einollahi said, “We are planning to send health attachés to the countries where the number of visits by medical tourists to Iran is high.”

“We have negotiated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the appointment of health attachés in the embassies of some countries with whom we cooperate in the fields of medicine, medical equipment, science and technology, and exchange of professors and students.”

“Health attachés are appointed in six countries in the first phase, including South American and African countries. We are also following up on dispatching health attachés in neighboring countries,” IRNA quoted Einollahi as saying.

In this line, the first health attaché will be sent to Iraq, he noted.

“The issue of medical tourism is very important. Therefore, countries that have extensive relations with us in the field of health diplomacy will be given the top priority.”

President Ebrahim Raisi has said the Islamic Republic is a suitable destination for medical tourism.

Highlighting the country’s great strides in medical and health sciences, Raisi said patients in many neighboring countries prefer to visit Iran for treatment than travel to Europe.

This is due to the lower cost and high level of expertise in Iran, Raisi said, Press TV reported.

Health cooperation                 

In December 2022, Einollahi and Al-Hasnawi discussed the promotion of health, medical and educational cooperation.

The two officials addressed the ways of professor exchange and Iraqi students’ use of Iranian medical experiences.

Al-Hasnawi said that a special working group, consisting of Iranian and Iraqi specialists, to promote medical cooperation is planned to be formed, and Iran’s medical experiences will be used in the treatment of rare and incurable diseases.

Emphasizing the need to expand medical cooperation between the two countries, he proposed the use of Iranian medical equipment and supplies.

Einollahi also announced that the first international branch of Tehran University of Medical Sciences will open in Karbala.

A meeting was also held with the focus of holding training courses focused on the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, IRNA reported.

MT/MG