Egypt's Sisi urges ensuring safety of medical staff amid coronavirus crisis

CAIRO – 10 June 2020: Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has directed the government to apply the highest standards of infection control and provide the required medical supplies to protect all medical staff and help them fulfill their duties, amid the novel coronavirus crisis, an official statement read.

Sisi’s remarks took place in a meeting with Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli and a number of ministers. The president voiced appreciation for the great efforts made by the medical teams during such exceptional period.

This comes while 58 Egyptian doctors have died so far with the deadly virus, according to officials.

During the meeting, the president urged finding a suitable mechanism for cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the hospitals of the private sector, with the aim of making use of all available medical institutions in the northeastern African country, to provide coronavirus detection and treatment services to citizens at a reasonable cost.

Sisi urged intensifying awareness campaigns to educate citizens about ways to deal with the spread of coronavirus, especially preventive measures required to avoid infection.

As around 653,000 students are preparing for the Thanaweya Amma (third year of secondary school) tests starting June 21st for about a month, Sisi affirmed the need to take all required measures, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and relevant state institutions, to secure students and related staff during exams.



Madbouli has reviewed with the president all regulatory measures taken by the government within the framework of the current “coexistence” plan, which aims to restore normal activities gradually. He also reviewed efforts to bring back Egyptians stranded abroad, as the state has repatriated around 30,000 citizens so far.

The meeting was also attended by the ministers of military production, education, higher education and scientific research, finance, interior and health, as well as the head of the Administrative Control Authority, the regulatory body responsible for enforcing laws and regulations within state bodies.

On May 14, Egypt released a coexistence plan to deal with the coronavirus pandemic over the coming period. The government highlights the importance of abiding by precautionary measures while preparing to gradually resume the normal life cycle.

The plan comes as a bid to reduce the number of infections and deaths and, at the same time, achieve a balance between maintaining a normal life cycle and abiding by the precautionary measures, to get rid of the negative psychological effects of the outbreak, and to avoid crowds resulting from services like transportation and shopping.

Cinemas, theaters, cafes, fitness halls, and sports clubs should remain closed during the period of coexisting with the coronavirus in light of the first phase of the state’s plan to cope with the virus.

The Health Ministry also recommended keeping the ban on weddings and funerals and suspending universities, schools, kindergartens, and nurseries.