Hospitals upgraded for fight against Covid-19

Chest and fever hospitals across Egypt have been upgraded at a cost of LE438 million, a government minister announced today.

Minister of Health Hala Zayed said the upgrade of 34 chest and fever hospitals is part of efforts in the combat against coronavirus.

The announcement coincided with the opening by President Abdel Fattah el Sisi of several facilities at the Ismailia Medical Complex.

Some 81 hospitals nationwide are ready to receive Covid-19 patients in the first line in the battle against all communicable diseases, the health minister said.

Another 30 standard hospitals have been made ready for the same purpose at a cost of LE4.5 billion, the minister added.

“These constitute the nucleus of medical services offered through the Comprehensive Health Insurance System,” she said.

Zayed yesterday also reviewed the latest developments in the national plasma manufacturing project which is aimed at attaining self-efficiency of plasma derivatives.

Eight blood plasma collection centres have been completed and another 20 will be ready by the end of 2021.

The project will provide a surplus for export and save LE1 billion annually on imports.

Zayed said her ministry’s strategy to apply the Comprehensive Health Insurance System relies on several factors: the institutional structure of the authorities involved, health planning, infrastructure and equipment, institutional transfer, training and public awareness, plus digitisation.

Referring to the ‘We take care of you in Egypt’ scheme, Zayed said patients from Nigeria, Philippines, Sudan, Yemen and Zambia were welcomed in Port Said for world-class health services at well-equipped facilities.