Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar met his Gambian counterpart, Ahmadu Lamin Samateh, on Sunday to discuss expanding bilateral health cooperation, with a focus on establishing Egypt's first medical centre in Banjul — also the first Egyptian-run facility of its kind in West Africa — according to Egypt's health ministry. Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the centre is expected to provide integrated healthcare services that meet international standards, including emergency care, intensive care and neonatal units. It will also introduce in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) services to Gambia for the first time. The talks included plans to expand the centre's services to cover oncology and dialysis, while the Egyptian minister instructed officials to assess the deployment of specialised medical teams to help train Gambian doctors, the statement said. Both sides also discussed cooperation in pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, addressing challenges related to drug registration fees despite progress in increasing the presence of Egyptian medicines in the Gambian market. They agreed to review regulatory procedures to facilitate market access and strengthen bilateral cooperation. The meeting further covered training and capacity-building initiatives, including medical convoys in various specialties — particularly cardiac surgery — and opportunities for Gambian medical professionals to receive training in Egypt in fields such as oncology, surgery, and cardiac and thoracic care. Samateh praised Egypt's contributions to education, healthcare and capacity-building efforts across Africa and expressed his hope for a new phase of productive health partnership between the two countries, the ministry said.
