Egyptian ministry operates 152 caravans offering services to disabled in 12 governorates

CAIRO – 8 September 2024: The Ministry of Social Solidarity revealed in a statement Sunday that 152 caravans had been operated in 12 governorates within the second phase of the campaign aimed at the issuance of one million integrated services cards for the disabled.

The caravans took place between July 28 and September 3 in the governorates of Menoufeya, Qena, Kafr El Sheikh, Sohag, Qalyoubiyah, Gharbia, Luxor, Beni Suef, Alexandria, Suez, Asyut, and Daqahliyah. Moreover, the volunteers reached out to disabled individuals at their homes, and presented to them the benefits they would get by obtaining the card, and the documents required for the issuance.

The turnout to access the services offered by the caravans amounted to 8,796 disabled citizens, and 1,805 were registered on the disabled database. As for individuals with mild and moderate disabilities, measures were taken to inform the Ministry of Health to screen them and issue medical reports of their cases. Measures were also taken to appeal the cases of those whose reports indicated the absence of a disability of any degree.  

The campaign was launched in 2023 so as the ministry joined forces with civil society for volunteers as well as rural female leaders to reach the residences of disabled citizens to register their data and card requests.

There are 12 types of eligible disabilities, and those are blindness, hearing loss, cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis, quadriplegia, dwarfism, severe mental disabilities, longitudinal paralysis, lower hemiplegia, severe muscle atrophy, amputation, and autism.

By showing the card, they are entitled to free medical care at the ministry's affiliate units distributed nationwide. It is noted that 1.17 million cards have already been issued. Yet, the number of the disabled who acquired the services of 795 rehabilitation and care centers has hit 1.9 million.

Regarding disabled women in specific, 180,000 had been registered, so as the ministry is examining their social, economic, educational, and professional conditions as well as the type of their jobs, social insurance status, and sources of their social protection.

The ministry also pointed out that LE8.2 billion in monetary subsidies were being disbursed to 1,214,373 disabled citizens annually. Further, LE3.4 million are paid to sign language interpreters at public universities in 18 governorates. Also, laptops were purchased at LE22 million for visually-impaired students.

In a related context, the ministry announced earlier in the same year that the number of disabled students benefiting from the designated units at public units has hit 12,100. The ministry-affiliated units had determined the needs of the students through surveys and focus groups, a press statement by the ministry indicated.

As such, the tuition fees of 3,000 disabled low-income students were paid by the ministry, and 1,700 prosthetic devices were provided free of charge. Those consist of wheelchairs, white sticks, assistive listening devices, and laptop computers equipped with screen readers for the blind.

Further, events, attended by 5,600 students, were held to raise awareness on helping disabled colleagues.

Most importantly, 17 sports and entertainment camps were held so as they included activities like blind football, wheelchair race, handball, tennis, music playing, and singing.

Simultaneously, workshops on handicrafts, such as decoupage, home accessories, broderie, and crochet, were also held. In addition, 1,670 integrated services cards were issued for disabled students to facilitate their access to free-of-charge services offered by the government.