TEHRAN -- Iran ranks first in the field of ophthalmology among West Asian countries and competes with the world’s most advanced countries in this regard, according to an Iranian health official.
Chairman of the Ophthalmology Department at Iran’s Health Ministry Dr. Mahmoud Jabbarvand said Iran has been welcoming millions of medical tourists on a yearly basis and that no Iranian patient is sent abroad for medical treatment.
“Given the scope of research and studies in the field of ophthalmology, Iran is comparable to the world’s advanced countries,” Jabbarvand said in an interview with IRNA published on Saturday to mark World Sight Day.
“Because of the extensive range and outstanding quality of ophthalmic services and treatment here in Iran, no patient is sent abroad and even many patients from different countries, especially neighboring ones, travel to the country for treatment,” he said.
He further said that Iran has gained the expertise to domestically manufacture artificial corneas, adding that artificial cornea transplant is performed on patients who neither can receive human tissue nor stem cells.
Those who have undergone the surgery have managed to regain their full eyesight, Jabbarvand said.
He explained that 2,500 ophthalmologists are currently active in Iran, which has achieved significant progress in the field of stem cell application.
Iranian specialists can skillfully

undertake meticulous applied research, he noted.
“Due to the great expertise and dazzling performance of our doctors, coupled with the efficient operation of state and private hospitals, patients who are diagnosed on time will quickly undergo surgery and regain their sight,” the top Iranian health official said.
Iran’s scientific community has remained productive in recent years, even as economic sanctions have made it difficult for universities to buy some of the most advanced equipment or send talented students to Europe or the United States to attend scientific meetings.
Tehran, Mashhad, Yazd, Shiraz and Ahvaz are among the top destinations chosen by medical tourists, who choose to cross borders to seek affordable treatment in Iran.