Plan to Deploy Health Counselors to Embassies Outlined

Health Minister Bahram Einollahi announced that the government is sending health counselors to a number of its embassies to facilitate medical tourism, the export of pharmaceutical products as well as the exchange of students and the latest scientific findings. 
“We’re prioritizing nations that have extensive ties with us in medical tourism. As per the plan, one person will be stationed in these countries as Iran’s health counselor,” Einollahi was quoted as saying by ISNA. 
The minister pointed out that planning for medical tourism had to take place in the tourists’ country of residence and a counselor’s presence was required to work out the details.
The Health Ministry is negotiating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to choose the counselors for various destinations.
“Based on our agreement with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, our first health counselor will be dispatched to Iraq in the next two weeks,” Einollahi stated. 
Iran chose Iraq as the very first country to have a health counselor due to the high number of Arab patients that visit Tehran, Mashhad, Shiraz and other metropolises for treatment and surgeries. 
By appointing a health counselor, the government is attempting to cut off intermediaries from medical tourism and the counselor will serve as a legal authority that can be contacted if any health-related complications arise during surgeries.
In the second stage of the plan, health counselors will be sent to six countries in South America and Africa. At the same time, the Health Ministry will follow up on dispatching counselors to neighboring nations. 
Iran is considered a famous destination for medical tourism in the region as it boasts a large number of medical experts and affordable prices. 
Einollahi’s trip to Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda, accompanying President Ebrahim Raisi, is hoped to pave the way for the promotion of medical tourism in African nations in the future.