Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi praised on Monday the sacrifices and efforts of medical teams in the country exerted during the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. “The Egyptian people have the right to be proud of the sacrifices of their doctors and medical teams during the coronavirus pandemic,” El-Sisi said. According to the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, not less than 98 doctors passed away since the outbreak of the pandemic in mid-February. El-Sisi's statement came a few days after Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly criticised a number of doctors, saying their absence from their posts at hospitals is the reason behind the recent surge in the number of coronavirus fatalities. Madbouly's quotes prompted the anger of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate that said the prime minister ignored the real reasons behind the surge. “Since the start of the pandemic, Egyptian doctors have presented the greatest examples of sacrifice at work, under huge pressure from these difficult circumstances, a lack of PPE in some hospitals, and the continuous attacks on medical teams, while everybody stood idly by,” read the syndicate's statement. The syndicate said the premier's comments would incite additional anger directed at doctors and would increase attacks by patients and their families on medical staffs.
