The International Health Tourism Conference kicked off on Saturday under the patronage of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, with the slogan "The echo of the past is renewed today." The two-day conference is taking place in the New Administrative Capital. The conference is headed by Mohamed Awad Taj El-Din, the Advisor to the President of the Republic for Health and Prevention Affairs and former Minister of Health, and the honorary president of the conference is Major General Khaled Fouda, Governor of South Sinai. Ahmed Al-Sabki, Chairperson of the Health Care Authority, said that Egypt has witnessed great development in the field of health care, emphasizing that the government health sector plays a vital role in promoting health tourism in Egypt, as it provides advanced health infrastructure and develops policies and regulations that ensure the quality of services and patient safety. He also said that the sector encourages health investments in various fields. Al-Sobki added that Egypt has a great position in health tourism, both in its hospital and therapeutic aspects, in the ranking of indicators at the international level. He stressed that Egypt is a major hub for receiving visitors from Arab and African countries and the world and an ideal destination for health tourism. He pointed out that the Health Care Authority owns green, internationally accredited health facilities in the most important tourist and coastal governorates, such as Port Said, Luxor, Ismailia, South Sinai, Aswan, and Suez. He also noted that the authority has won many Arab and international awards in digital health and health sustainability and that its system will extend to all governorates by 2030. "We received more than 6,000 patients from foreign, Arab, and African tourists from 23 countries to receive health care and treatment in our accredited hospitals through the "We Care for You in Egypt" program. The revenue from medical tourism has increased by seven times compared to the year 2023," Al-Sobki said. He pointed out that health tourism is a vital strategic sector for improving the growth of the economy in Egypt. He continued: "We integrate with the private sector and civil society so that Egypt becomes the main destination for health tourism globally and among the major and developed countries, and in line with the comprehensive state concept of the participation of all sectors in the construction and development processes and achieving the 2030 goals."
