Madbouly: Comprehensive Health Insurance Aims to Deliver Support to Those in Need with the Dignity They Deserve

The Healthcare Authority provided 100 million medical services across 6 governorates in the first phase with investments exceeding 53 billion Egyptian pounds. Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated that the essence of the comprehensive health insurance system is to ensure that support reaches those in need, with the dignity they deserve. More than 150 children underwent cochlear implant surgeries, regaining their ability to hear, and the system successfully enabled 24 patients to regain hope through kidney transplant surgeries, in addition to thousands of services related to heart care, oncology, pediatrics, critical care, and major surgeries. He emphasized that healthcare is not just numbers, but human experiences that change people's lives. During the opening session of the sixth annual international forum of the General Authority for Healthcare, the Prime Minister added that the comprehensive health insurance project is one of the most important national projects adopted by the Egyptian state in recent years, believing in every citizen's right to access comprehensive healthcare services with the highest quality standards, in a fair manner that achieves citizen satisfaction and ensures the sustainability of the necessary funding to achieve universal health coverage, as it is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and one of the pillars of Egypt's Vision 2030. Madbouly pointed out that the government has worked in recent years along parallel paths to fully develop the health sector, including the re-governance of the health sector with effective legislation, as well as a comprehensive development of the infrastructure of health facilities, and a fair redistribution of health services to ensure equality in access to these services, while also focusing on medical personnel as they are the cornerstone of advancing the health system. The Prime Minister added that, on the legislative front, the government, in cooperation with the Egyptian parliament in both chambers, has succeeded in issuing a package of important laws under which the bodies concerned with the comprehensive health insurance system were established, including the Egyptian Drug Authority, the Unified Procurement Authority, the Egyptian Health Council, the Supreme Council for Clinical Research, the Medical Emergency Response Fund, and the Compensation Fund for Medical Profession Risks. He noted that regarding health infrastructure, there has recently been a noticeable renaissance, indicating that through the video presented, we see the level and size of the medical facilities currently in place, not just in Greater Cairo or Alexandria, but in governorates in Upper Egypt and border governorates. He mentioned his commitment during his visits to any governorate to gather patients' opinions on the level of healthcare provided to them in comprehensive health insurance hospitals, noting that patients always confirm that they can now easily and affordably undergo the required tests and imaging, as well as the largest and most complex surgeries being performed in these hospitals, which is a significant achievement for this system that began its work in the governorates of the first phase, hence the state's interest in the comprehensive health insurance project. He noted that during the first phase of the comprehensive health insurance project and the presidential initiative "A Decent Life" to develop rural villages in Egypt, more than 1,426 family medicine units and centers and 79 hospitals were established and developed in 24 governorates, in addition to 1,255 projects within the investment plan of the Ministry of Health and Population, which directly contributed to accelerating the implementation of the system according to the timelines. The Prime Minister confirmed that Egypt has achieved, as acknowledged by international organizations, significant success in improving public health indicators for citizens, foremost among them the 100 Million Health Initiative, through which the state provided more than 250 million medical services, culminating in the World Health Organization's announcement of Egypt receiving the gold classification in the path to eliminating "Hepatitis C," and also declaring Egypt free from viral hepatitis C, malaria, and trachoma. In March 2025, the international certification of Egypt's freedom from measles and rubella was renewed for the second consecutive year, reflecting a true national philosophy based on prevention, early detection, and reducing the disease burden before it occurs. Madbouly indicated that the state succeeded in implementing the first phase of the comprehensive health insurance system in six governorates with investments exceeding 53 billion Egyptian pounds, during which the General Authority for Healthcare provided more than 100 million medical services in the first phase governorates through its accredited medical facilities according to national quality and accreditation standards, which were equipped with the latest medical equipment and rely on the latest technological systems and digital transformation applications for continuous monitoring of performance indicators, thereby enhancing citizens' confidence in the quality of services provided to them. He clarified that the state has paid special attention to the underprivileged through exemption from subscriptions and activating the automatic registration mechanism based on the databases of the Ministry of Social Solidarity, with the first phase including about 905,000 citizens who are unable to pay their subscriptions, representing 17.6% of the total registered, which reflects the extent of the responsibility borne by the state to ensure fair distribution and protect the most needy groups. He stated that on the verge of launching the second phase in five new governorates, namely: Minya, Matrouh, Damietta, North Sinai, and Kafr El Sheikh, with investments exceeding 115 billion Egyptian pounds, the total number of citizens covered by the umbrella of comprehensive health coverage will exceed 18 million citizens, with the possibility of adding Alexandria governorate in the next phase, confirming that the state is moving forward without hesitation in supporting the health sector and utilizing all resources to secure the future of this pioneering national project, which will not be complete without the participation and collaboration of the private and civil sectors with government institutions.