TEHRAN – Supported by the vice-presidency for science, technology, and knowledge-based economy, nine Iranian knowledge-based firms participated in 30th edition of Hospitalar, the biggest health event in Latin America, held from May 19 to 22 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The four-day event offered unique opportunities for business, networking, congresses, and knowledge exchange.

The event brought together 1200 exhibitors from over 80 countries to showcase their latest achievements and products in various health sectors, including medical and dental tools, diagnostic devices, laboratory equipment, rehabilitation facilities, and home care equipment, as well as digital health and artificial intelligence.

Iranian knowledge-based companies displayed their latest products in different health fields such as dental implants, telemedicine, e-health software, artificial intelligence platform in healthcare, physiotherapy devices and equipment, knee prostheses and orthopedic implants, colposcope devices, exercise testing devices, and diagnostic kits.

On the sidelines of the exhibition, the Iranian delegation held meetings with Asian, European, and Latin American companies, as well as Brazilian medical equipment associations and the Health Ministry of Brazil, to boost technological cooperation through sharing expertise and expanding product exports.

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