Egypt plans EGP48 bln investment for Minya health insurance rollout

Egypt is preparing to launch the second phase of its universal health insurance system, starting in Minya governorate, with infrastructure and equipment investments estimated at 48 billion Egyptian pounds to serve about 6.5 million people.

Ahmed El-Sobky, chairman of Egypt’s Healthcare Authority (EHA), said in a statement on Monday that the plan includes 26 hospitals and 290 primary healthcare facilities. Initial operations are expected to begin at 10 hospitals and 113 centres and units.

He said the authority is conducting registration campaigns to enrol citizens in the system and deploy digital tools, including electronic medical records, referral systems, and pre-booking services to improve access and reduce congestion.

El-Sobky said lessons from the first phase helped simplify procedures and reduce waiting times, and that a unified operational manual has been developed for newly joining governorates.

The plan also focuses on expanding family medicine centres as the first point of care and improving resource allocation through a model tailored to population distribution.

He added that training programmes for medical and administrative staff are being expanded, with facilities being prepared ahead of the rollout to ensure operational readiness.

Pilot operations are expected to begin once preparations are completed, the authority said.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English

Subediting: Y.Yasser