TEHRAN--Establishing a coherent health tourism structure is the key to attracting medical tourists and strengthening the health economy in Sistan-Baluchestan province, given its extensive medical, educational, and research capacities.

Speaking at a coordination meeting for health tourism development which was held on Wednesday, Hassan Mohammadi, head of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, said that Zahedan University of Medical Sciences has significant capacities in the fields of treatment, health, education, research, and food and medicine, which can play an effective role in development of health tourism, ISNA reported.
Emphasizing the need for interdepartmental coordination, he added that establishment of a specialized working group of health tourism with participation of all relevant executive bodies and holding regular meetings will pave the way for overcoming the challenges and strengthening the infrastructure of this field across the province.
He also said that with installation of new high-energy linear accelerators, as well as launching iodine therapy department and PET scan device in near future, the cancer treatment cycle will be completed across the province, which will provide a suitable capacity for attracting the health tourism.
Mohammadi continued that Zahedan University of Medical Sciences has currently attracted the fourth group of international students.
Also, Alireza Shahraki, the deputy governor-general of Sistan-Baluchestan province, stated that health is one of the important indicators of promotion of each province, adding that the private sector participation in health tourism is essential, and the governorate’s office is ready to cooperate with all its might to create the infrastructure and remove the obstacles in this field. 

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