Egypt’s Sisi orders faster rollout of universal health insurance, new disease control centres

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Saturday instructed his government to speed up the rollout of the country’s universal health insurance scheme and complete major hospital and medical infrastructure projects, the presidency said in a statement.

The directive came during a meeting with Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly and Minister of Health Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, who briefed Sisi on the second phase of the insurance system, covering five governorates including North Sinai and Minya. Sisi also called for Alexandria to be considered for early inclusion.

The president urged closer involvement of the private and non-governmental sectors in supporting the nationwide system, while also fast-tracking projects such as the Nile Medical City, a children’s specialty hospital at Nasser Institute, and a 4,200-bed Capital Medical City in eastern Cairo.

Sisi directed officials to finalise a draft law regulating private medical facilities to encourage investment in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, the statement added. He also ordered studies into establishing an Egyptian Centre for Disease Control and a Centre for Precision Medicine to strengthen preparedness against epidemics and advance medical research.

Abdel Ghaffar presented updates on 15 presidential health initiatives, including the elimination of surgical waiting lists and treatment at state expense. Sisi stressed reducing delays for operations, ensuring access for vulnerable groups, and exploring non-invasive glucose monitoring for children with type 1 diabetes.

The president also reviewed progress on Egypt’s National Population Strategy, urging intensified efforts to raise awareness and improve education to address demographic pressures and promote sustainable population balance.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English