Egypt's Central Bank (CBE) and Medical Emergencies, Genetic and Rare Diseases Fund, affiliated with the Ministry of Health, have renewed their cooperation protocol for an additional three years. The signing on Tuesday was witnessed by Hassan Abdullah, CBE Governor, and Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population. The renewal extends the protocol first signed in November 2024, providing full-cost coverage for critical surgical interventions not included in health insurance, aiming to reduce patient suffering and ease the financial burden on Egyptian families. Governor Abdullah highlighted that the partnership between the banking sector and the Ministry of Health has enabled sustainable funding for surgeries and expanded the number of beneficiaries. It has also reduced waiting times for more than 26,000 patients in critical specialties such as open-heart surgery, cardiac catheterisation and stent procedures. Thousands of artificial joints and hundreds of corneal transplants have also been provided in cooperation with the Unified Procurement (UPA). He added that the banking sector will continue supporting health initiatives as part of its social responsibility, contributing to the provision of dignified healthcare for priority groups, in line with Egypt's Vision 2030. Minister Abdel Ghaffar, for his part, praised the CBE and the banking sector for their ongoing support, noting that renewing the protocol demonstrates their commitment to delivering safe, prompt, and high-quality healthcare services to citizens. The cooperation comes in line with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives to eliminate medical waiting lists. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
