Switzerland’s cooperation with Egypt on the health front represents a significant aspect of the relations between the two countries.
A meeting on 30 October between Swiss Ambassador to Cairo Yvonne Baumann and Egyptian Minister of Health Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar saw them discuss cooperation on smart hospitals, pharmaceutical industry, medical equipment, blood banks, digitisation medical services, as well as enhancing the quality of the medical service offered by medical institutions.
According to Health Ministry spokesperson Hussam Abdel-Ghaffar, the Minister of Health particularly praised Swiss cooperation in providing drugs and diagnostic tools for Egypt’s presidential initiatives of Combatting Hepatitis C, and Supporting Women’s Health. The Minister also commended the work of Swiss research companies operating in Egypt in provide a suitable medicine for haemophilia patients.
The recent meeting also saw Ms Baumann and Mr Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar discuss a joint project for the safe disposal of hazardous waste, currently under execution in the western Delta governorate of Daqahliya. They discussed proposals by the Minister to double the capacity of the project, and to built more like it in other Egypt’s governorates. He said that the adequate disposal of medical waste could greatly help in the Egyptian government’s endeavours to turn hospitals into green facilities.
The Health Minister invited the Swiss to explore Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance system, the first phase of which is already in operation in the Suez Canal governorates of Ismailiya and Port Said. He suggested that Switzerland and Egypt would work on exchange of experience and training medical staff.
Watani International
1 November 2022