Medical security plan set during presidential election

CAIRO – 25 March 2018: Ministry of Health and Population set a comprehensive medical security plan to deal with any security-threatening incidents during the election slated for March 26-28.

Ministry of Health and Population declared that as a part of the comprehensive medical plan, 2887 equipped ambulances will be distributed across polling stations, centers for the final announcement of election results, as well as along main roads in each governorate in order to potentially deal with any threatening incidents during the election.

Assistant health minister in charge of emergency services, Sherif Wadie,told Egypt Today that the Ministry of Health requested to put the comprehensive plan into effect starting Sunday.

Wadie added that the plan includes a heightened readiness and emergency level at all aid facilities,as the Egyptian Ambulance Authority has coordinated with the Critical and Emergency Care Department to provide emergency doctors for each ambulance.

He remarked that three fully- equipped medical convoys,with different medical specialties,will be stationed in each governorate during the election. Enough emergency blood supplies and medicine for six months will be provided to all hospitals during the election.



He stated that holidays for employees at hospitals are unavailable during the election, particularly for those working in emergency sectors.

In the same context, the Interior Ministry has announced a state of high alert across the country in view of the upcoming presidential election.

In his interview with Al-Ahram newspaper, Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar stated that serious attention has been paid to the election security plan, and a state of emergency was announced in all governorates of Egypt to ensure that security measures are put in place at the 11,000 polling centers.



The election security plan has been divided into three parts: firstly, securing all polling stations and the placement of judges monitoring the elections, secondly, ensuring that security measures are in place until the end of the vote counting process, and thirdly,securing all vital state institutions, archaeological sites and main streets during the election, and the period after electing the president.

Meanwhile, accredited international and local civic organizations have embarked on pre-election monitoring measures by training their observers on the Egyptian electoral system, in accordance with the regulations set by the National Election Authority (NEA).