In an interview with Webda, Dr. Seyed Ahmad Hashemi highlighted the province's potential in the health tourism sector, stating that for health tourism to develop, North Khorasan must first transform from a mere transit point into a genuine tourism destination. This is because health tourism relies on general tourism infrastructure, including accommodation, transportation, and ease of access.

He added that transportation infrastructure is currently one of the province's major challenges in this regard. For instance, Mashhad boasts extensive facilities in this sector—including an airport and robust transportation support—and is served by flights from various cities across the country; in contrast, such facilities are lacking or insufficient in North Khorasan.

The President of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences stated that a health tourist will only choose the province as a destination if there is easy and reliable access to transportation services; therefore, developing health tourism in the province requires simultaneous attention to both medical and tourism infrastructure.

A Practical Step Toward Entering the Health Tourism Market of Neighboring Countries

Emphasizing that North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences has not halted its efforts despite these limitations, Dr. Hashemi noted: "Last year, a delegation from the province was dispatched to Turkmenistan; during the visit, a memorandum of understanding was signed, and negotiations were held with companies active in this sector."

He continued: "As a follow-up to these measures, we are currently negotiating with specialized health tourism groups and teams; plans are in place to finalize contracts with them so that we can direct patients from neighboring countries to North Khorasan for medical treatment."

He added: "The goal is to leverage the capabilities of specialized health tourism companies and establish connections with neighboring countries, enabling patients in need of medical care to visit the province and utilize the medical facilities available in North Khorasan."

Leveraging the Potential of Neighboring Countries

The President of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences identified the province's geographical location as a significant asset for the development of medical tourism, noting that proximity to regional nations creates an opportunity to draw a portion of the province's medical tourism clientele from neighboring countries.

He added that, alongside efforts to strengthen necessary infrastructure, the university is working to leverage the capabilities of the private sector and specialized medical tourism companies to facilitate the arrival of foreign patients in the province.

Dr. Hashemi stated that North Khorasan possesses significant potential in the healthcare sector, and the university plans to transform this capacity into an opportunity for developing medical tourism in the province by establishing international connections, leveraging the potential of neighboring countries, and expanding cooperation with specialized medical tourism stakeholders.