Egypt subsidizes increase in dialysis costs

CAIRO - 8 October 2018: Egypt will assume the difference between the old and new costs of dialysis sessions as it jumped from LE 200 to LE 350 per session, Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed stated in a press conference on Oct. 7.

The minister clarified that the budget of state-funded healthcare increased compared to 2017, and that 25 percent of that budget is allocated for dialysis as each patient needs 156 sessions per annum.

In 2018/2019, the budget rose to LE 5.2 billion from LE 4.2 billion in the previous fiscal year.

Zayed announced that 890,000 citizens were tested for Hepatitis C in the first week of the campaign launched on Oct.1 to detect and treat chronic diseases. Testing will end in April 2019 so that patients will receive treatment for one to one and a half year, to announce Egypt free from Hepatitis C by 2020 or 2021.

Citizens above 18 years of age of both sexes will be targeted during the first phase, the minister said in a press conference held on Sep. 30, adding that they will test for hepatitis C, diabetes and hypertension. Height and weight of citizens will also be measured for obesity as part of the campaign which will provide free treatment, she added.

The campaign will be carried out through various surveillance points at health care units, Health Ministry hospitals, mobile clinics and other health facilities nationwide, Zayed explained, revealing that 1412 units will receive examinees in nine governorates.

Zayed pointed out that 888 cases tested positive during a test for the initiative that was previously carried out. She added that a specialized chamber in the ministry has been established a month ago to find out the population-dense areas and the outcome of the campaigns, affirming that the citizens’ data are fully secured.

As part of the president’s initiative, Manal al-Sayed, a member of Egypt’s National Committee for the Control of Viral Hepatitis, said that school children between 12 to 18 years old, will undergo the early detection tests starting March 2019.