TEHRAN - A one-day medical camp has been organized by the Iranian Red Crescent Society’s health center in Ghana aimed to provide free medical services to flood victims and the needy, benefiting 547 individuals.

The initiative was taken following floods in the city of Accra and a request from the Ministry of the Ministry of Inner City and Zongo Development, IRNA quoted Hamidreza Dehqan, an IRCS official, as saying on Tuesday.

The Iranian Red Crescent Society’s health center was deployed to provide free medical care to those seeking assistance and individuals in need, Dehqan added.

He noted that 547 people benefited from health services during the one-day medical mission. The services provided included general practitioner consultations, medication distribution, pharmacy services, mobile laboratory testing, and counseling on midwifery and hygiene.

The humanitarian activities of the IRCS are not confined by geographical boundaries, Dehqan said, adding: "The presence of the Iranian Red Crescent Society’s health centers in various countries exemplifies the organization's humanitarian approach to addressing the needs of local communities—an approach that prioritizes human dignity, assistance to the needy, and the alleviation of human suffering."

In such programs, providing free medical services to those in need exemplifies altruism and humanitarian responsibility, demonstrating that serving humanity—transcending geographical boundaries—is one of the Iranian Red Crescent Society’s most vital missions, Dehqan stressed.

Referring to the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, he noted that humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality constitute seven fundamental principles; the implementation of health programs in underdeveloped areas represents the practical manifestation of these principles in the field of service.

He emphasized that a key approach of the Iranian Red Crescent Society in its overseas operations is to simultaneously focus on treatment, prevention, and the promotion of community health.

“In this context, organizing health camps—alongside the ongoing activities of Red Crescent health centers—facilitates access to medical and counseling services for vulnerable groups.”

Pointing to the operations of the Iranian Red Crescent Society’s health center in Ghana, Dehqan stated that the continued presence of IRCS health centers in African nations is part of the Society’s humanitarian mission on the international stage, a presence founded on serving humanity and helping to improve the health of local communities.

IRCS is a key humanitarian actor

In November 2025, Hossam Elsharkawi, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), highlighted the role of the IRCS as one of the region’s and the world’s key humanitarian actors.

Lauding the IRCS efforts, Elsharkawi congratulated Pirhossein Kolivand’s re-election as the head of the IRCS, saying that the IRCS makes highly effective decisions at international levels, IRNA reported.

The official made the remarks in an online meeting with Kolivand. During the meeting, the two officials discussed ways to foster collaborative efforts, develop rescue systems to enhance the country’s preparedness and response capabilities, and conduct international meetings and conferences in Iran.

The IRCS proposed hosting an international Islamic youth conference and the conference of leaders of national societies from Islamic countries.

The two sides also emphasized the need to implement the previously signed memoranda of understanding between the two organizations to lay the ground for promoting educational, operational, and logistic collaborations.

The IRCS also suggested introducing an expert to follow up on managerial and technical cooperation with the Regional Office for MENA.