Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly on Sunday directed officials to immediately begin implementing the second phase of the country's universal health insurance system, starting with the governorate of Minya in Upper Egypt. Madbouly's directive came during a Monday meeting to review the readiness of the governorates slated for the second phase and to discuss the possibility of adding the governorate of Alexandria to this stage, his office said in a statement. The prime minister said the meeting was part of the follow-up on the readiness of the second-phase governorates, which also include Matrouh, Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, and North Sinai, covering a total population of over 12 million people. Regarding Alexandria, Madbouly noted the interest and support of the private medical sector in the governorate to participate in the system. "What is required now is to confirm through financial studies the ability to accommodate the governorate of Alexandria in this phase," he said. A final decision will be made after the completion of the required financial studies, he added. Alexandria's Governor, Ahmed Khaled Hassan Saeed, said a series of workshops had been held with representatives ofthe civil medical sector, including doctors and private hospital officials, who confirmed their readiness and strong support for the system's implementation. Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar stressed the importance of the universal health insurance system as one of the state's most important projects. He noted that Alexandria has a significant advantage due to the availability of human resources, university hospitals, and private hospitals, compared to the governorates in the first and second phases. Ehab Abou Aish, deputy chairman of the Universal Health Insurance Authority, said that actuarial estimates reflect the system's financial capacity to cover Alexandria at the proposed time, given the current financial reserves. He noted that the total number of beneficiaries of the system has reached 5.1 million in six governorates, with a registration rate of 85% of the total population. Ahmed El-Sobky, chairperson of Egypt Healthcare Authority, presented the executive steps and roadmap for implementing the second phase, with the initial focus on Minya. He reviewed the ready hospitals, health units, and family medicine centres in the governorate, including those established under the "Decent Life" initiative. During the meeting, officials also discussed the executive status of the automation for the first phase of the system, the challenges facing it, and proposed solutions. A document outlining the frameworks, policies, and powers of the various entities within the system was also reviewed.
