All you need to know about Egypt’s health care program for the elderly

CAIRO – 16 March 2022: The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population revealed the examinations provided in the health care program for the elderly, stressing that the health care program for the elderly aims to examine citizens aged 65 years and over in all governorates of the Republic, except for the governorates of the first phase of comprehensive health insurance (Luxor - Port Said - Ismailia - South Sinai - Aswan - Suez).

The program aims to improve the healthy life of the elderly as follows:

1)   The program provides early detection services for the most common health problems at this age.

2)   The program allocates 401 medical centers distributed among all health departments in 21 governorates, as a first stage to perform services.

3)   The program provides medical services to the elderly includes detection of non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, gastrointestinal diseases, malnutrition (anemia, obesity), in addition to psychological and nutritional assessment.

4)   The program also provides general clinical examination services, body mass index calculation, vision, oral and dental examinations in addition to examinations (measuring hemoglobin, lipids, cholesterol, kidney function, random blood glucose analysis), as well as conducting electrocardiograms, and abdominal urtlasound and the pelvis.

5)   The program includes providing health education and psychological support services to enhance the health and raise awareness of the health problems of the elderly, and how to prevent them.

6)   Providing nutritional advice in terms of eating meals at specific times and the balanced nutritional content necessary for the health status.

7)   Giving patients a health follow-up card, for periodic follow-up of the health status, mainly 2 annual visits.

8)   Refer patients to hospitals in case of need for advanced medical interventions.