The official opening ceremony of the "Health Assistant" Plan was held in Tehran on Monday 9 May 2016 in the presence of the Iranian Minister of Health, Treatment and Medical Education and President of the Iranian Red Crescent Society. During the ceremony, Dr. Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Minister of Health, declared, "Red Crescent health helpers will not take the responsibilities or perform the duties of medical staff in the medical centres,"  He emphasized that there are many responsibilities in hospitals that patients are in need and medical staff are unaware of them sometimes due to heavy duties. "If different people from various parts of the communities can be attracted to voluntary services provision with the development of health helpers' services, then we will see huge capital created by these health helpers. That is a change to the public attitude towards the development of philanthropy and kindness." he also said.  Pointing out that Red Crescent health helpers are ignoring and devoting their rest, recreation and work to serve the patients, Dr. Hashemi said, "This service is certainly the right form of beautiful poem selected for this year's Red Crescent Week "Human beings are members of a whole"