By IRNA,
London : A group of Iranian physicians residing in Britain say they are ready to help counterparts in Iran improve health conditions.
In a meeting with the visiting Iranian minister of health here late on Friday, UK-based Iranian physicians from various specialties said they are very eager to have greater cooperation in promoting health standards in the Islamic Republic.
The four-hour meeting with Kamran Baqeri Lankarani was held in the Iranian Embassy which invited Iranian physicians from across the UK to confer with the minister.
Specialists from Cardiff, Cambridge, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and London attended the banquet and gave their opinions on various medical and non-medical issues.
Minister of Health and Medical Education said that Iranian physicians abroad are a source of pride for noble Iranian nation.
“President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told me to convey his message to you that ‘wherever Iranians are, they contribute to humanity and therefore they are a source of blessing for the whole world’,” he said.
Lankarani added that Iranian scientists have reached ‘great breakthroughs’ in the medical sector in recent years.
“Our nuclear scientists, despite sanctions, managed to produce molybdenum in our laboratories in just 70 days while Iranian biotech specialists produced six strategic pharmaceuticals,” he said.
He added that the number of indexed scientific papers by Iranian physicians in prestigious medical magazines has increased from 300 in 1997 to 3,000 2007.
Lankarani said that ISI is currently studying 30 Iranian medical sciences publications for registration as one of the prestigious magazines in the international scientific circle.
The minister said promoting public insurance and family physicians is the top priority of the Health Ministry.
He urged Iranian physicians abroad to help the government in finding better ways of managing the health economy.
Lankarani said that the government is investing huge amounts of money on health subsidies to prevent financial pressures on patients.
Also speaking in the meeting, Rasoul Movahedian, Iran’s ambassador to Britain, said President Ahmadinejad wants more cooperation and interaction with Iranians abroad.
“The Embassy is trying to establish constant contact with Iranians living in UK to facilitate their interaction with counterparts at home,” he said.
Lankarani, heading a delegation, arrived in London Wednesday to participate in a World Health Organization meeting on ‘Social Factors Affecting Sanitation and Health’.
On the sidelines of the event, he met a number of his counterparts including the British Health Secretary Alan Johnson.
Lankarani also held a meeting with Iranian students of medical sciences in Britain.