Dr. Gholamreza Foroudi, the lead manager of the “Mehr” hospital tells of the activities and potentials of the medical center in Mashhad.
Due to housing the shrine of the eighth imam as well as its touristic structure, Mashhad has turned into a medical tourism center, earning itself a respectable spot in industry. Dr. Gholamreza Foroudi, Anesthetic specialist and the lead manager of Mashhad’s “Mehr” Hospital spoke to us about the activities of the hospital in medical tourism department.
Doctor, please first provide us with the background of the hospital, its potential and capacities, as well as the infrastructure that you have prepared.
“The hospital was founded in 1976, and in 2016 received its IPD permit from the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, during these years, in order to satisfy the patients and fellow experts, the entirety of the hospital was reconstructed and renovated, expanding its physical extent from 9900 square meters to 14000. There are currently 210 active beds in the hospital, while VIP rooms have also been allocated for the satisfaction of foreign patients. In the recent years, the cath lab (Angioplasty and Angiography) and open-heart sections have also been introduced.
The Mehr hospital is equipped with open-heart, Infants open-heart ICU, special cardiac surgeries and angiography, neurology, gynecology, laparoscopic surgeries, urology, otorhinolaryngology and aesthetic sections, out of which cardiac, angioplasty and angiography patients make up the majority of our foreign patients base.”
The hospital is well active on social media from Instagram to YouTube, to showcase the quality of the services we provide for our patients.
What countries are the majority of the Mehr hospital’s patients from?
“In the past we mostly had patients coming here from, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan followed by the countries of the Persian Gulf region. But nowadays we mostly have patients from Turkmenistan, Oman, Afghanistan, etc. last year we had more than a thousand inpatients, and more than 300 foreign outpatients. “
What services does the Mehr hospital provide for medical tourists?
“In the Mehr hospital cardiac, open-heart, gynecology, orthopedics, neurology, general surgery, urology, otorhinolaryngology and aesthetic services, both diagnostic and treatment, are provided.
Also the hospital is equipped with paraclinical sections such as, CT scan, echocardiography, radiology, sonography, pathology and laboratories.”
What are the strategic plans of the Mehr hospital in the medical tourism department?
“In every section of the hospital there are well equipped rooms for the patients and their attendants to be in comfort. Thus there is no need for the patients’ companions to look for a hotel. This causes a reduction of the patient’s expenditure and greater satisfaction. We have also come up with a website that is constantly updated by information about the hospital and all of the data that the patients need.
The hospital is well active on social media from Instagram to YouTube, to showcase the quality of the services we provide for our patients.
Another measure we have undertaken is to make it possible for our patients to enjoy a virtual tour of the hospital, showcasing all of our sections on our website. Our attempt has been to maintain contact with our patients following their departure. With this approach we have managed to have loyal customers, who will only opt for Mashhad’s Mehr hospital for their medical needs.”
How would you define the medical tourism in Iran and in the city of Mashhad?
“Iran as well as the city of Mashhad do benefit from a proficient and committed medical staff, as well as up to date equipment and infrastructure, which could them to enjoy a splendid place in the medical tourism industry. As of now both the quality as well as the prices for foreign patients has been quite competitive in comparison with other countries.”