Emphasizing the protection of medical heritage and expanding cooperation between the country's medical science museums

The 13th meeting of "Thoughtful Museum Tuesdays" was held with the focus on the role of medical science museums in protecting Iran's scientific and historical heritage, and the speakers emphasized the necessity of documenting works, developing educational and research activities, and strengthening cooperation between specialized museums.

According to the reporter of Arya's Heritage, the 13th meeting of the series of "Thinking Museum Tuesdays" with the title "Medical Science Museums; Narration of Iran's Intangible Medical Heritage" was held on Tuesday 21 October 1405 under the initiative of the General Directorate of Museums of the Deputy of Cultural Heritage, with the presence of a group of university professors, managers of medical science museums and experts in the field of cultural heritage, in person and online in the meeting hall of the General Directorate of Museums.

In this meeting, Ali Asghar Soleimani, the director of the Badi al-Hakmai Medical History Museum of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, introduced the experiences of this museum in collecting historical artifacts, developing cultural activities and attracting audiences, referring to the historical background of medicine in Hamedan and the place of this city in cultivating prominent doctors and thinkers.

He considered continuous communication with universities, schools, scientific and cultural associations, tourism activists, and the media as effective factors in introducing museums and stated: Utilizing the capacity of various social groups and the participation of private collectors in donating historical documents and equipment plays an important role in developing museum collections and increasing public awareness of medical heritage.

Emphasizing the importance of documenting and digitizing works, Soleimani proposed the formation of a joint council of medical science museums in the country and added: identifying common capacities and needs, exchanging information and experiences, implementing joint projects and creating a portal to introduce specialized museums can provide a more effective cooperation between these collections.

In the following, Dr. Milad Azmoudeh, who attended the meeting on behalf of Professor Iraj Nabipour, the founder of Bushehr Persian Gulf Medical History Museum, introduced the activities of this collection and pointed out the role of participation of doctors and their families in collecting and protecting historical medical documents and equipment.

Stating that the Museum of Medical History of the Persian Gulf houses more than 8,500 objects, he said: In addition to preserving artifacts, museums should narrate the history, use and developments of medical tools so that the audience can learn about the evolution of knowledge and treatment methods.

Azmoudeh also pointed to the success of this museum in the evaluations of the National Committee of Iranian Museums, and emphasized the need to pay attention to contemporary medical achievements along with the introduction of the historical background and added: Medical science museums can strengthen the link between medical history and today's knowledge by introducing prominent doctors and scientific advances, and become a space for the interaction of students, researchers and the general public.

Masoumeh Khalaj, director of Imam Khomeini Hospital's Medical Education Museum, was the other speaker of the meeting who reviewed the history of the formation of modern medical education in Iran and discussed the role of this hospital in the development of medical education and the training of different generations of doctors in the country.

Referring to the use of educational technologies in the past decades, including video equipment and tools for displaying surgical processes, he said: collecting and keeping these equipments, along with books, documents, old operating room tools and memorabilia of prominent medical professors, allows new generations to become familiar with the evolution of medical education methods.

Stating that the collection of the historical equipment of this collection has started since 2006, Khalaj emphasized the necessity of protecting the educational heritage of hospitals, completing the museum collections and introducing their capacities to students, researchers and interested people.

In the final part of the meeting, Dr. Fatemeh Jalousian, Associate Professor of the Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran and Public Relations Officer of the Parasitology Museum, referring to the history of the knowledge of parasitic diseases in Iran, considered the connection of parasitology knowledge with medical history, ancient texts and popular culture as one of the important narrative capacities in specialized museums.

Introducing the Parasitology Museum of Tehran University, he pointed to the activities of this collection in the field of collecting, identifying, classifying and maintaining scientific samples and said: specialized museums, in addition to protecting scientific heritage, can play an effective role in transferring knowledge and increasing public awareness by providing research services and using modern methods of education.

Jalousian also emphasized the importance of accurate recording of sample information, documentation of geographic origin, specialized protection and the use of digital technologies, and the development of a database, the creation of a DNA database of parasites, and the expansion of tourism.

He listed science and strengthening international interactions as future plans of the Parasitology Museum of Tehran University.

The 13th meeting of "Museum of Thinking Tuesdays" was accompanied by experiences and proposals in the field of protecting medical heritage, developing scientific and public partnerships, using new technologies and strengthening communication between specialized museums; Topics that can play an effective role in preserving and introducing the country's scientific and medical heritage and passing it on to future generations.