Egyptian expatriate doctors, who are famous for their great expertise in various medical specialisations and who enjoy excellent reputations abroad, are keen to help and serve their mother country Egypt. However, they have a few demands in order for them to be able to effectively and seamlessly offer their services to fellow Egyptians at home. They placed these demands before Soha Gendy, Egypt’s Minister of State for Emigration and Expatriate Egyptian Affairs. Ms Gendy promptly took these demand to Health Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar. They met at the Ministry’s headquarters in New Alamein City.
Via videoconference, and within the “An Hour with the Minister” initiative, Ms Gendi and Dr Abdel-Ghaffar were able to discuss matters with Egyptian expatriate doctors.
Discussions made it obvious that the large number of Egyptian doctors working and residing outside Egypt are willing to support the health system in Egypt, for the benefit of Egyptian citizens.
Ms Gendy noted: “We seek to meet the needs of Egyptian doctors abroad, to facilitate their work during vacations or professional visits to Egypt. We have received relevant requests from Egyptian expatriate doctors in the US, UK, New Zealand, Canada, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and others.”
Ms Gendy explained that major among the doctors demands has been that the government would facilitate the issuance of licences for them to practise their profession while in Egypt.
Ms Gendy also presented a request by the Texas Medical Board to cooperate with the Ministry of Health through the Egyptian member doctors on the board, via an agreement to be signed with the Egyptian Medical Board.
A number of Egyptian expatriate doctors, Ms Gendy said, are keen to support the government in its promotion of medical tourism in Egypt; also in performing surgeries while in Egypt, and their willingness to donate medical equipment to hospitals.
In addition, Ms Gendy said, a number of Egyptian professors who teach in medical schools outside Egypt have expressed a wish to teach in Egyptian universities as visiting professors, in order for medical students in Egypt to benefit from international experience. They also expressed their willingness to provide newly graduated Egyptian students with training scholarships abroad, and to offer their expertise to Egyptians through diagnostic telemedicine.
For his part, Dr Abdel-Ghaffar expressed his appreciation of the keenness of Egyptian doctors abroad to support the health system in Egypt, and said that the Health Ministry is indeed working on facilitating licenses for expatriate doctors wishing to practice medicine while in Egypt.
He praised the desire of senior expatriate Egyptian doctors and university professors to hand their expertise over to their counterparts in Egypt by providing training courses to Egyptians. He said the Ministry aims at sending a number of medical teams outside Egypt to receive advanced medical training, in order for them to enhance their professional capabilities.
The Minister of Health pointed out to future coordination with the Ministry of Emigration to utilise the experience of expatriate Egyptian doctors in medical tourism, in addition to seeking their assistance in performing surgical operations, and collaboration with them on telemedicine.
The meeting concluded with the two ministers agreeing that the Ministry of Expatriate Egyptian Affairs would provide the Ministry of Health with the names of Egyptian expatriate doctors who expressed desires to support the health system in Egypt.
In addition, two contact points were defined at the two ministries to facilitate direct contact between expatriate doctors and the relevant government authorities. This should make it easier for doctors to obtain licence to practise in Egypt, and to bring into Egypt medical equipment necessary for their practice; also to coordinate on the other proposals discussed, including donation of equipment, and pharmaceutical and medical supplies.
Watani International
4 September 2023
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