Minister of Health and Population and Deputy Prime Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar chaired a regular meeting of the Coordinating Committee for the Universal Health Insurance System to review implementation progress across governorates and assess the readiness of Minya ahead of its inclusion in the scheme's second phase, the ministry said in a statement on Monday. Abdel Ghaffar praised the efforts of the technical committee that conducted field inspections of health facilities in Minya, after reviewing a comprehensive report covering human resources, medical equipment, infrastructure readiness, and digital transformation. The committee includes representatives from the Health Ministry, its affiliated bodies, and other relevant institutions. Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the meeting examined Minya's health indicators, noting that the governorate comprises nine administrative and medical centres and a population exceeding six million. Discussions addressed the current healthcare situation, hospital bed capacity, and the phased plan to close existing gaps — adding 1,500 beds in the first stage and 1,656 in the second. He added that the committee reviewed the status of hospital equipment, including endoscopy units, mammography, CT and X-ray scanners, MRI machines, ultrasound systems, ECG and echocardiography devices, Doppler and cardiac catheterization units, and oxygen tanks. Plans to upgrade family medicine units and centres were also discussed. The meeting further assessed the progress of digital transformation across ministry hospitals, primary healthcare units, and university hospitals, as well as the current distribution of healthcare personnel — including doctors, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, nurses, and administrative staff — alongside plans to meet future workforce needs. Abdel Ghaffar emphasised the importance of expediting readiness assessments for Minya's integration into the universal insurance system and strengthening partnerships between the Health Insurance Authority and private hospitals to diversify service provision. He also directed the formation of a joint committee with the governorate to support healthcare investment projects in Minya.
