CAIRO - 23 July 2024: Egyptian Minister of Health and Population and Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar spoke in a recent TV interview about problems facing doctors around the world after Corona Pandemic, monitoring of medicine pricing in Egypt, and plans for boosting health care services as part of human development goals.
During his special interview with "Politics Talk" program on Extra News TV channel, Minister Abdel Ghaffar said that after COVID, there is a severe shortage of doctors and medical teams in England and across different countries.
He continued: "The problem of doctors is a worrying matter, because it is possible to have the best possible health services through construction capabilities and equipment, but the human element is effective and essential regardless of the infrastructure."
Medicine Pricing
He also tackled the issue of pricing medicine in Egypt, saying that it is forcedly priced, and that whoever violates the pricing will be punished by the state.
Minister Abdel Ghaffar further pointed out that the dollar crisis has caused difficulty in providing $350 million a month from the Central Bank.
He added that it was necessary to think about the jurisprudence of priorities at this time to see what is available. He explained that the monthly budget for medicines is at 100 million dollars per month, which needs to be met to avoid shortage in medicines.
“During the crisis period, the available finances were divided to cover medical supplies, such as: heart catheters, anesthesia medications, and dialysis filters," he said, adding that there were weekly meetings held in the presence of the Ministry of Health, the Unified Purchasing Authority, the Egyptian Medicine Authority, and the Central Bank, to resolve this crisis and find solutions on a weekly basis, and in some cases on a daily basis.”
He also highlighted the necessity dedicated to mental health, as it is considered a large sector of the ministry, and one of the main sides of the health triangle to achieve healthy human capital.
Global studies indicate that there are approximately 25 percent of citizens in the world who have some psychological disorders, and Egypt is not far from that, knowing that there is a difference between psychological disorder and insanity, he added.
The minister spoke about the time when the terrorist Brotherhood group ruled the country, and the unrest that the country witnessed during this period, saying: “We used to see fires. We were all saying, ‘Is this going to be the fate we are going to?’ But God honored us and removed this [dark] cloud from us."
He continued: "Part of human development is for citizens to feel safe, so when the state built the infrastructure, it established safety in society so that we can build on it again."
Medicine crisis to end in 2-3 months
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, said that the drug crisis will end within two to three months, explaining: “The crisis is beginning to end, as credits have been opened from the Central Bank, but at a new price for the drug.”
He added during an exclusive interview with the “Kalam Fi Politics” program, with journalist and media writer Ahmed Al-Tahri, which was broadcast on the “Extra News” channel: “We were facing two problems: either the price of the drug would be moved by 20% or 30%, but it would be there, or its price would remain.” "As it is, but it will not exist."
The Minister of Health and Population continued: “Medicines are a national security commodity, and therefore the Central Bank’s credits were opened, and companies began to return production lines to what they were, but in order for them to be stored for 7 months, and for the entire system to have the ability to produce, this matter will take two to three months, and this "The least possible losses that we have experienced."
On the other hand, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said that human development requires health care that is in line with what the state wishes for the citizen before birth, and attention to the health of the mother and fetus, and throughout a person’s life taking care of his health.
He stated that there are major presidential initiatives in human development to detect disease before it occurs, treat it, and reach results, pointing out that attention to health is an essential element for human development.
He continued: “The first six years of a child's life are the most important in forming his mind, perception, and health. After that, the Egyptian person must be able to know himself and his identity, and develop awareness,” pointing out that the school teaches the child the skills that must be available in the early stage of life, teaching him creative or critical thinking and helping him to discover his talents in various activities.
He continued: "There are statistics that are followed in terms of the number of people entering schools out of the total number of births, and all thinking is about children who do not enter schools."
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population, said, “We have not achieved everything we hoped for. We have hospitals that are 100 and 80 years old, and our population increases 2 million people every year, and construction and development rates are not the same as birth rates.
He explained that these things and more are on top of the state's agenda to boost health sector and human development.
Comments
Leave a Comment