Egypt to increase FY 2023/24 healthcare spending to reach EGP 75 Bn: Planning Minister

 In its report, the Ministry of Planning and Economy examined the objectives of the plan for the current fiscal year 2023/2024 in the field of health services. 

 

 

 H.E. The Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Hala El-Said, emphasized that improving the health level of citizens is a proper human right in line with the main principles of the National Human Rights Strategy, which crystallize around the human right to obtain high-quality health care. 

 This is ensured by the Egyptian constitution by explicitly defining constitutional rights. 

 

 

 At the top of these constitutional rights is the allocation of funds necessary to ensure comprehensive health care for citizens, channeling at least 3% of the gross domestic product to improve health services. 

  Improving the health of citizens within the framework of justice and equality is also a key objective of the Sustainable Development Strategy: Egypt's Vision 2030 and is particularly represented in the third objective of good health and well-being.

  El-Said added that the provision of comprehensive health care is one of the main components of building the Egyptian nation because it ensures comprehensive health care for all citizens and offers a radical solution to development gaps, ensuring the improvement of people's living standards. 

 

 

  El-Said noted that the 2024/23 plan aims to allocate an estimated total investment (public and private) of EGP 75 billion in health services, which is 4.6 percent of the total investment in the plan for the same year, to implement many development initiatives and projects in the development of health services.  

 

 

 

 The report of the Ministry of Planning and Economy stated that the projects of the health investment plan in 2023/2024 include the development and improvement of existing hospitals (167 medical hospitals and 29 infirmaries - 49 hospitals) and the commissioning of 55 hospitals in the plan year. 

Of these, 46,000 are affiliated with the Health Board and (9) are university hospitals. 

  The plan is also to develop and equip medical centers and units, including (10 plasma collection centers - ultrasound treatment units - intensive care units for the elderly - development of 36 quarantine centers).  

The plan also included the development of an ambulance building (the delivery of 255 ambulances with medical equipment - the delivery of unified national emergency and security network units and the completion of strategic projects, the most important of which are (Medical City Nasser Institute - the central laboratory building Badris City).  

 This is in addition to improving the environmental system through the construction of air, water, and food pollutant monitoring stations - the construction of hazardous medical waste incineration complexes, and the construction and completion of 146 health units, including (105 health units - 55 units).

 

  The report highlighted the achievements of the health sector in the last financial year, which are the increase in self-supply of medicines to 93%, and the opening and development of nine physiotherapy departments in six city centers and hospitals during the first quarter. from 2023 as part of the plan for the provision of physiotherapy services. In all the provinces of the republic. This also included the launch of an initiative to support the services of primary healthcare departments and centers to provide integrated health services in villages and governorates across Egypt. PHCs have several services, including early detection of diseases, as well as family planning services for various presidential initiatives such as women's health. 

 The Egyptian government also plans to launch the "Your Health is Your Wealth" initiative for the early detection of prostate tumors and the "Go One Step Ahead" initiative for the early detection of cervical tumors, providing more than 13,000 services. 

The Medical Tourism Agency project "We Take Care of You in Egypt" was also launched to attract foreign arrivals to the agency's hospitals for treatment. The role of the offices of the authorities at Egyptian airports was also activated and the first annual conference of the Egyptian-African Medical Tourism Partnership was organized with the participation of 25 African ambassadors. 

 Also, 24 sessions of training were organized for physiotherapists and specialists from the general health departments of the governorates (Qalyubia, Beni Suef, and Menoufia).