Egypt's Health Care Authority, led by Dr. Ahmed El-Sebki, recently met with the Foreign Ministry, represented by Ambassador Mohamed Karim Shreef, to discuss strengthening health and investment partnerships with African countries. The meeting aimed to utilize Egypt's medical capabilities to support health diplomacy and expand medical tourism. The two parties also discussed sharing Egypt's experience in implementing a comprehensive health insurance system.
Dr. El-Sebki expressed the authority's readiness to launch initiatives to support health care in Nile Basin and Horn of Africa countries through partnerships with Egyptian investors. These initiatives would leverage existing Egyptian projects in Africa, focusing on health care management, governance, quality, and digital transformation. This would help transfer Egypt's experience in comprehensive health insurance and build African capacity according to each country's needs.
Dr. El-Sebki highlighted that the authority has the first virtual hospital in Africa and the largest in the Middle East. This hospital serves as a strategic tool to support Egyptian initiatives on the continent by providing specialized medical consultations remotely, training personnel, and exchanging expertise. It also connects African health institutions with Egyptian medical expertise, expanding health services for African patients.
The two parties discussed medical tourism, with an initial agreement to prepare a joint working paper to launch a program for treating African patients in Egypt at reduced prices. This program, "Nir'ak Fi Masr," aims to identify priority markets and medical services, explore training mechanisms, and transfer Egyptian expertise to African countries.
Ambassador Shreef emphasized that medical and economic diplomacy are essential for enhancing Egyptian-African partnerships. He stressed the importance of utilizing developmental and investment opportunities according to each region's economic and social characteristics and linking them to Egyptian capabilities and expertise. This approach would achieve mutual benefits and support sustainable projects.
Ambassador Shreef also highlighted the potential for cooperation in the health sector, leveraging existing Egyptian projects and relations on the continent. He noted that Egypt's medical services and expertise have a strong reputation in Africa, providing opportunities to attract patients and develop relations with African health institutions.
The two parties agreed in principle to prepare a joint working paper outlining priority countries and markets, mechanisms for implementing the program, and coordination with Egyptian embassies to bring in patients. They also discussed developing health and investment alliances, utilizing the virtual hospital, and defining implementation and expansion stages according to the needs of targeted countries.
Key points
- Egypt's Health Care Authority and the Foreign Ministry are working together to enhance health and investment partnerships with African countries.
- The partnership aims to support health diplomacy, expand medical tourism, and transfer Egypt's experience in comprehensive health insurance to African countries.
- The two parties have agreed to launch a program for treating African patients in Egypt at reduced prices, under the "Nir'ak Fi Masr" project.
