In March 2016 an agreement was signed between Austrian company ‘VAMED’ and Iran’s Social Security Organization (SSO) by which the former was committed to build a 320-bed hospital in Shiraz, the capital of Fars Province.
“The project has been finalized and the construction work will start in the near future,” said Mohammad Ali Hemmati, deputy of treatment at SSO, at a press conference on Monday in Tehran, IRNA reported.
“So far, Iranian engineers and experts working in the Austrian firm have helped us build Milad Hospital in Tehran and 80 other hospitals affiliated to SSO, as well as 280 outpatient health centers across the country,” he said.
VAMED is a global provider for hospitals and other facilities in the healthcare sector. A private sector provider of rehab services, it covers all areas of healthcare, from prevention and wellness to acute care, rehabilitation and nursing.
The company has constructed 720 hospitals across Europe, said Hemmati. “We have also planned a 320-bed hospital in Tabriz, East Azarbaijan Province with the cooperation of the firm.”
The total budget required for implementation of the two projects in Shiraz and Tabriz has been estimated at $212.5 million (8,500 billion rials).
Referring to the SSO hospitals currently under construction in the country he said, “At present, nine hospital projects are underway, and all of them are expected to be completed sooner than the deadlines.”
A non-government insurance organization, the SSO is solely financed by insurance premium contributions (7% by employees, 20-23% by the employer, and 3% by the government). At present more than 40 million people in Iran are under SSO coverage.
The SSO also owns several large industries and companies and over the years has emerges as an economic conglomerate with immense power and influence.
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