Veterinary Visit Costs $4 in Iran, $120 in the US | Sanctions Make Sourcing Specialized Equipment Difficult

Head of Tehran's Veterinary Hospital: Operating in this field under sanctions is difficult. Under normal conditions, companies introduce new technologies to medical centers, but we have been forced to source much of the equipment and facilities we need ourselves.

The head of Tehran Veterinary Hospital says: It is difficult to operate in this field under the conditions of embargo. Because unlike the normal situation where companies introduce new technologies to medical centers, we have had to provide many of the equipment and facilities we need ourselves.

According to Ambassador Arjan, Payam Mohebi, the founder of Tehran Veterinary Hospital, in a press conference about the details of the operation of this hospital, which according to him is the first veterinary hospital in Iran and the most equipped veterinary hospital in the Middle East, pointed out the restrictions caused by sanctions in the supply of equipment, medicine and technologies needed for veterinary medicine and said: it is difficult to operate in this area under sanctions; Because unlike the normal conditions where companies introduce new technologies to medical centers, we have had to provide many of the equipment and facilities we need ourselves.

Stating that the supply of equipment, special drugs, vaccines and specialized software faces many limitations, he added: Even if medical equipment is available inside the country, we are still facing technology problems in some specialized areas of veterinary medicine. For example, certain surgeries, such as animal hip prosthesis, require special technology and equipment, the production of which is monopolized by a few companies in the world. Our team has received the necessary training to perform these surgeries, but access to the required technology and equipment remains a serious challenge.

Referring to the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on the activity of this complex, the founder of Tehran Veterinary Hospital said: The hospital project started in 1392, its design entered the implementation stage in 1395, and the hospital was put into operation in 1398. This collection has been facing economic problems and restrictions due to sanctions all these years.

He continued: "The reality is that we procure many needed equipment, medicines and vaccines at prices dependent on currency, but we provide services in Rials." This difference puts a lot of economic pressure on the collection and sometimes forces us to adjust costs; Conditions that can affect the actual salary of employees.

Comparing the cost of visits in Iran and other countries, Mohebi said: In 2016, the cost of visiting animals in Tehran Veterinary Hospital was 20 to 25 dollars, but now it has reached less than 4 dollars. While the cost of a visit in the UAE is around 250 to 300 dirhams, in America it is 100 to 120 dollars and in Europe it is 100 to 150 dollars. This difference shows the economic pressure faced by veterinary centers in Iran.

He also mentioned the educational activities of this complex and said: Our activities are not limited to medical services; Beside the hospital, our educational complex is the first nursing school in Iran that gives technical and professional degrees. Among the activities of this center, we can mention skill training in the field of veterinary nursing and veterinary exercise.

According to Mohebi, this complex also has a veterinary nursing faculty, whose students are accepted through the country's education assessment organization, and the hospital is not involved in the introduction and selection of students. In this faculty, veterinary nursing courses are offered at the associate and bachelor levels, and so far three courses of students have been accepted at the bachelor level.

Mohebi also said about the equipment of this hospital and that it is said to be the most equipped hospital in Asia and the Middle East: I cannot say that we are the most equipped veterinary hospital in Asia. Because there are better than us in Japan. In the Middle East, we have the 100% first rank in the field of PET, but a country like the UAE has a special Shaheen and Camel hospital that their government has invested in, not the private sector. But with all the development that the UAE has had, at least in appearance, it will not have a hospital like ours in the next 20 years.