Behnam Samie said: “Owing to cooperation on the part of all divisions including PIHO Legal Affairs Division, a legal land dispute involving the Mirdamad Hospital allotment was resolved. We are currently in the stage of choosing a project manager.”

Referring to plans made to review budget allocation to development projects, he said: “Costs for expert study of projects have been calculated and the remaining necessary budget for the completion of projects has been estimated and approved by PIHO Board, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) Board and General Assembly.”

Samie said: “In order to equip centers, necessary arrangements have been made for obtaining permit from PIHO General Assembly and endorsing purchase credit. The necessary equipment has been mostly supplied.”

Referring to regular meetings about the Tehran Petroleum Hospital, he said: “These meetings were held with the participation of the project manager and Ministry of Health basically agreed. Furthermore, necessary arrangements are under way for obtaining permit from the Economic Council.” 

Samie said: “Thanks to arrangements made and cooperation shown on the part of all divisions, including PIHO Legal Affairs Division, the court issue of land allotment for the Mirdamad Hospital project was resolved and the land title deed was conveyed to PIHO. Currently we are in the process of choosing a project manager.”

Samie said safeguarding and maintaining administrative and healthcare buildings rested with PIHO Directorate of Engineering and Construction. He added: “Following up on clinical projects construction in Ahvaz and Assaluyeh, financing maintenance of PIHO buildings all across the country, making necessary arrangements with NIOC Directorate of Consolidated Planning, making necessary arrangements with Planning and Budgeting Organization, and monitoring healthcare centers reparation are among plans under way.”

Referring to the Aghajari area project, he said: “In this area, the first phase of the 64-bed Aghajari hospital was completed and became operational in summer 2017. Moreover, the tender bid for the completion of phase 2 was held in 2016 and the contractor is handling necessary operations.”

Samie also said that the Abadan Petroleum Hospital was now 75% complete. He said since the project was not complete yet, the older hospital was being maintained by this Directorate, adding that the new hospital was under construction in four stories and on 28,000 square meters of land.

He said the project would have such wards as dentistry, emergency, internal clinics (heart, digestive system, pediatrics, internal medicine, ENT, orthopedics, endoscopy, radiology and CT Scan), surgery clinic (eye, brain, nerves, orthopedics, urology), maternity, laboratory, pharmacy as well as administrative division.

Samie touched on the diclinic and polyclinic projects in Shahin Shahr in Isfahan Province on 12,000 square meters of land and the Isfahan diclinic project covering 11,500 square meters. He added: “The Shahin Shahr project was completed and operational in May 2017 and the other project came on-stream recently.” 

Samie said: “Building a trauma center in Assaluyeh was also among our plans, but unfortunately we hit snags with regard to allotment of land from the Pars Special Economic Energy Zone (PSEEZ) and our follow-up efforts are still continuing.”

Referring to reparation work at the Ahvaz Petroleum Hospital, he said: “Reconstructing the emergency ward, rebuilding specialized clinics and the administrative sections of this hospital are under way, which will come online in 2019,” he said.

Samie said the Mahshahr polyclinic project would become operational next year. “This project covering 3,000 square meters is being completed and equipped. In this area, the Khorram-Kushk and Amanieh clinic projects will replace the previous four clinics,” he said.

Samie said the main activities under way for reparation at the central hospital was reconstruction of ICU, replacement of elevators, rehabilitating the façade of hospital, repairing the chemotherapy ward and VIP.

And touching on physical progress in housing construction for physicians in Gachsaran, he said: “The project for building 44 housing units for physicians is under way. However, the project, which is 50% complete, has been halted due to financial shortages. Furthermore, reparation work at the hold Gachsaran hospital is under way and the necessary credit has been allocated for the purchase of medical equipment for the new hospital.”