Egypt's Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar ordered an investigation into the director of Shorouk Central Hospital, in Shorouk City in Cairo, for being absent from work. The minister discovered this during a surprise visit on Saturday, as part of a series of field tours to inspect medical facilities across the country. The visits aim to monitor the health system and ensure the quality of medical services for the Egyptian people. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, said that the minister started his tour by checking the clinics' ticket reservation system and the reception and emergency department. He also reviewed the attendance lists of the medical teams and nursing staff and ordered that all those absent from the department be investigated urgently. Abdel Ghaffar said that the minister examined the attendance of doctors, nurses, and technicians, as well as the work records for the past month and the number of patients in the department. He instructed that all absent doctors be investigated and transferred from the hospital. The official spokesperson for the ministry said that the minister inspected the nursery department and opened an investigation into the broken equipment there. He also visited the outpatient clinics, which include (obstetrics and gynecology, children, urology, ear, nose and throat, general surgery, and internal medicine). The minister referred the urologist for investigation for not being present during official work hours. Abdel Ghaffar said that the minister inspected the intensive care department, where only one doctor was present, and ordered that the rest be investigated. The minister found the 20-bed inpatient rooms empty of patients and directed that the necessary measures be taken to hold the hospital staff accountable.
