EGYPT – Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has ceased the operation of 1,268 private health centers over violations and noncompliance with medical standards and regulations.
The Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar revealed that the closure decision is part of regular inspections and campaigns conducted by the ministry to monitor medical facilities’ practices.
The closedown happened between 23rd January and February 3rd this year to avoid any harm to citizens’ public health.
The ministry campaigns covered 4,943 private medical establishments including clinics, hospitals and medical centers across Egypt.
“Health facilities ought to operate in accordance with health licenses and apply all health regulations needed to ensure the safety of medical procedures and prescribed medicine,” asserted Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar.
He assured that all patients who had been receiving treatment in the closed facilities were transferred to alternative hospitals affiliated to the health ministry through ambulances.
The health centers cessation comes amid Egypt’s continued efforts to expand its COVID-19 vaccination campaign and immunize 70 percent of the population by the second half of 2022.
Latest COVID-19 data in Egypt
The health ministry reports that Egypt has administered a total of 38 million first COVID-19 vaccine doses and 27 million second doses since the start of the mass vaccination campaign in January.
“About 657,257 booster shots have also been administered which brings the total number of doses issued since the start of the campaign to 66 million,” the ministry reported.
In addition, the health ministry announced 22,993 COVID-19 fatalities nationwide as coronavirus cases continue to break records with 2,301 infections reported on Sunday.
Egypt reported a new daily record of 2,298 coronavirus cases on Saturday while 2,291 new coronavirus infections and 39 fatalities were declared on Friday.
The ministry statement further noted 374,479 total recoveries in the country.
“Despite the recent spike in COVID-19 infections, Egypt is expected to witness a decline in infections in two to three weeks,” reaffirmed the ministry’s spokesman Hossam.
The nation continues to enhance awareness programs concerning precautionary measures to face coronavirus as well as vaccination campaigns for the targeted groups.
Additional vaccines supplied
In January, Egypt received the first batch of AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, a monoclonal antibody drug that resists the coronavirus, which contained 15,000 doses.
The Evusheld doses arrived at Cairo International Airport soon after obtaining Emergency Use Authorization from the Egyptian Drug Authority.
Evusheld is intended for high-risk individuals who require a different form of protection to be able to return to their normal lives including cancer patients, people on dialysis and others with a suppressed immune system.
The country has received over 20 million doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine so far and millions of Egyptians have already received AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine jabs.
AstraZeneca pharmaceutical company is working with the Egyptian government and its partners to increase the vaccines number to support Egypt’s vaccination campaign.
Consequently, more AstraZeneca vaccines are expected to arrive in the coming weeks which is an important step in the global fight against the pandemic.
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