SAALMAND – The Health Identity Project

In loving memory of my esteemed mentor, Professor Salaami, and his honorable wife, Mrs. Maryam Kazeroonian, with gratitude to their family, who enlightened my path in the journey of knowledge and humanity.

Professor Salami, founder of the first comprehensive center for neuropsychiatric care, mental rehabilitation, exceptional education, addiction recovery, and elderly health services in the Middle East, established in Salami Village, Shiraz (Iran) — a center that, both in its time and even today, has no parallel in its scope, neither in Iran nor worldwide.

This pioneering institution replaced medication-based treatment with occupational therapy across more than 140 educational and rehabilitative fields. Within this humane model, patients and elderly individuals regained their dignity and independence — recovering not only their health but also their place within their families and communities.

The exceptional results of this center drew recognition from the World Health Organization (WHO), which cited it as a unique example of human-centered rehabilitation. Professor Salami’s legacy is a living synthesis of knowledge, faith, and respect for humanity — an inspiration that continues to guide new generations in health care, rehabilitation, and elderly support.

At a time when, in Iran and much of the world, patients with severe mental illness were confined in chains within dark rooms or church-like asylums and fed from behind bars, Professor Salami dared to defy the accepted norms. He believed that these individuals were, before all else, human beings deserving of dignity and compassion. With a scientific mind and a heart full of faith, he unlocked the chains and transformed the environment from a prison into a school of humanity, where patients became learners and artists in their own recovery.

This visionary approach marked the birth of a rehabilitation model that was truly ahead of its time — and, to this day, no institution of such breadth has been reported anywhere in the world.

Research and Authorship Note:

This biographical account is based on direct observations, archival records, and official reports collected by the researcher. To date, no documentation has been found in global sources that describes a project of this scope and humanistic vision.

Research and Authorship: Abdolnasser (Nasser Rezaei)