Egypt's Minister of Health Dr Hatem el-Gabali said Monday that very few violations had been committed by Members of Parliament seeking free healthcare, adding that the budget for free treatment had been almost doubled in the forthcoming fiscal year. "The Finance Ministry increased the funds allocated to free healthcare from LE1.3 billion last year to LE2.5 billion in FY2010/11. This allocation comes directly from the extra taxes imposed on cigarettes and cement," Dr el-Gabali told the legislature's Health Committee Monday at an acrimonious session. Members from the ruling National Democratic Party and opposition traded accusations that some colleagues were involved in trading in free healthcare. In an apparent bid to defuse tensions, the Minister of Health said that more than 99 per cent of Egypt's MPs were committed to the regulations for free healthcare and "caused no problems". "However, those who have violated the regulations will be found out in the investigation, which is underway," el-Gabali said, declining to reveal the names of the MPs. "The Speaker of the People's Assembly is the one who referred the file to the Ministry of the Interior, and it is he who should reveal the names of the violators," he added. Dr el-Gabali disclosed that he had requested an extra one billion pounds for the free healthcare system. "However, this is an election year. We could not get more money," he said. Egypt will elect a new Parliament later this year.Last year, the Government provided free healthcare to 2.2 million poor Egyptians, according to Dr el-Gabali.
