Healthcare in Egypt

I am lucky to have a friend in Egypt who is a medical student and he was kind enough to take the time to explain their health system to me. I asked him, "Do you have clinics for poor people in Egypt?" Here is his reply:

"This is the only thing I am sure Egypt is one of the best places all over the world in its aspect.

Egyptian law makes it mandatory that every single person in the republic under cover of health insurance.

My hospital for example it is teaching hospital you can get in only with one POUND (20 cents!!) and get full examination and lab investigations and medications in the same time only for one pound!

Not only in hospitals but also in millions of governmental and non governmental centers especially those done by Islamic centers which became a rule in every single city (Cairo has more than 500 Islamic center alone!!)

Medicine is one of the supported goods by Egyptian law and medical companies are closely monitored by the government for any increase in prices, only imported medications (which are rare here) are quite expensive.

For example Interferon (for HCV) is a drug we can't make here due to international rights ... etc)) so the government interfered to reduce its cost to the half in pharmacies and established 3 liver centers in Cairo and 4 centers all over the republic to treat candidates for free!!

Egyptian law is very clear in this point, No one is born without being covered by national health insurance and if any company tried to mess with that... they get in large problems.

Furthermore the Army also has another health insurance for those who served there and their families and all schools and governmental or non governmental institutions.

Take me for example, how am I covered:
1- as a student I have a student health insurance
2- As a son of an officer I have another health insurance in Army facilities
3- As an Egyptian citizen I am covered by national insurance system
4- as a human being I am covered by Islamic and Coptic centers.

The medical facilities are sometimes of low quality but no one is ever prevented from getting there. Ah and in case the disease is difficult to be treated, Every EGYPTIAN CITIZEN HAS THE RIGHT IN THIS CASE TO BE TREATED ABROAD ON GOVERNMENT'S EXPENSE.

All of this in a country considered to be poor! so compare it to America!! and you should expect the same if not better treatment from your government.

AH YOU must know this!!! HOW MUCH DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR MY HEALTH INSURANCES?????
1- for the university: 8 pounds a year!!! (about 1$)
2- For the Army, NOTHING
3- FOR the governmental national program: (4 or less pounds!!)
4- For the abroad treatment: only the plane ticket and some cases don't even pay that.

Great isn't it!!!?

(part 2)

As for treatment abroad there is an application form here (sold for less than a pound!!) the applicant fill it and send it to the ministry of health where his case is studied if he can't be treated in Egyptian Facilities he will be sent.

Egyptian medical system has lots of troubles like lots of places all over the world but as a matter of fact when it comes to health insurance it is the best for its citizens I have ever seen.

Also ratio of doctors to patients in Egypt is the highest all over the world!! every year Egyptian universities graduate about 9 or 10 thousand doctors all find jobs in the market and work in different sectors, also Egyptians are the main stem of all Arab Gulf countries' medical systems.

Egypt face a lot of problems especially with USA because of drugs' price, as Egyptian government allow drug companies here to break international law and make drugs supposed to be exclusive for many European and American companies to reduce their prices by the third or more, companies threatened to sue the government which led to slight increase in some drugs' prices, but till now the government and Egyptian health authorities declare it proudly that they are ready to break every single international law to cure the patients.

Please my friend feel free to post all of these facts to your friends to see that they deserve better treatment than what is happening. What happens in America is a crime but more vile crime than crimes of law, its a crime against the citizens that pay taxes, such taxes which unfortunately are spent for weapons instead of making the slightest improvements in USA citizen's lives.

I am ready to answer all questions of any one about the Egyptian insurance system and its variant elements whenever you like.

(part 3)

Sorry for the long answers but I have another story to tell you:
About 8 years ago an Egyptian citizen working in Greece got sick and no hospital there accepted to treat him as he didn't have an insurance and was illegal migrant so the citizen sent a letter to Egyptian newspapers who rapidly published it,
the second day the answer came from the President Mubarak himself as he announced that a private full equipped plane with medical stuff is flying to Greece, that time Greece faced rage of the Egyptian public opinion and every one was asking the government to do something for the severely ill Egyptian citizen and I remember that the response of the president came as fast as the second day after the letter was published.

One of the most important causes of why the insurance system is extensive in Egypt is that ISLAM curse every one who don't cure a patient if he can, It is like belief here to any one like God himself. and no one here neither a citizen or government accept any decrease in such services.

The Prophet Mohamed said that the first thing god will ask about in the other world to every one is:
Oh son of Adam I was ill and you didn't treat me!!?
so the man answer saying, how can I treat you!! you are the god !!?
So god says, remember when your fellow human was ill and you didn't treat him... if you had done it then, I would have helped you now.

So medical service here isn't only about life on earth ... it is really a matter of belief!"

I am very grateful to my Egyptian friend for taking the time to explain this. It is heart warming to learn about a government that cares for its people in this way.