Egypt's Ministry of Health and Population announced on Saturday that it has issued 289,590 treatment decisions at state expense, at a total cost of EGP 1.713bn in April. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, explained that the total beneficiaries of the decisions issued for treatment at state expense amounted to 276,573 citizens, indicating that this comes within the framework of facilitating procedures for citizens to obtain integrated medical services.
The issued treatment decisions included specialities of blood diseases, oncology, surgery, gynaecology, internal medicine, nose, ear, urology, and bones, in addition to skin and neurological diseases. Abdel Ghaffar added that 473 cases were discussed using video conference technology to facilitate procedures for citizens and issue treatment decisions without the need to come to the headquarters of the General Administration of Specialized Medical Councils and without the patient bearing any hardship. He further said that within the framework of the Ministry of Health's strategy and its role in caring for "people of determination" who request the integrated services card, a medical examination was discussed and signed on 31,630 applicants for the integrated services card during April. The number of medical examination committees for people with disabilities and special needs has increased to 511 medical committees nationwide. Moreover, Mohamed Zidan, Director of the General Administration of Specialized Medical Councils, pointed out that disability cases eligible for the integrated services card include multi-limb amputation or amputation of one limb, quadriplegia, cerebral palsy, cases of muscular dystrophy, and polio in the case of one or more limbs.
It also constitutes blindness, multiple disabilities, Down Syndrome, and other intellectual disabilities – IQ 35% or less – in addition to autism spectrum conditions and dwarfism.
