Agencies-Gaza post
Egypt builds virtual hospital to reach remote Sinai patients
Egypt General Authority for Health Care agreed in early August to set up a virtual hospital linked to mobile clinics to serve Bedouin communities in South Sinai and ensure that the health care needs of governorate residents are met.
On an August 4 declaration, the authority said: “South Sinai is the sixth largest governorate in Egypt. It is a desert environment where mobility is difficult. The places where medical services are provided are scattered due to the geography of the governorate, which also has a shortage of manpower and a shortage of some medical specialists ”.
Ahmed el-Sobky, head of the General Health Care Authority and del Global health insurance projecthe told Al-Monitor, “The decision to found the virtual hospital accompanies the trial operation of the new insurance system in the governorate of South Sinai. It aims to cover all the needs and health services for all residents of the governorate, especially in remote areas, where it is difficult to move easily or because of their distance from hospitals and medical centers ”.
In February 2021, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi initiated a trial of the new health insurance system in South Sinai, which aims to increase coverage of the Egyptian health insurance system to include vulnerable citizens, in conjunction with the development of hospitals. and health services centers in South Sinai.
Sobky explained: “The virtual hospital will include some of the most qualified doctors in various medical specialties to help diagnose diseases as well as direct medical teams in mobile clinics when needed on how to deal with difficult cases.”
He added: “The model has been implemented in the UAE, Japan, France and the UK and its implementation in Egypt aims to offer comprehensive medical coverage to all citizens benefiting from the new health insurance system to receive holistic services.
“Health services are covered for citizens benefiting from the new health insurance system in South Sinai through the virtual hospital and 31 health facilities affiliated with the General Health Care Authority in the governorate, including 23 medical centers, one unit of family medicine and eight public hospitals. Those hospitals are responsible for providing the highest levels of health care such as medical examinations, laboratory tests, radiology and major and advanced surgeries and interventions. ”
He added: “These health facilities, which are interconnected via an electronic system, are also connected to the virtual hospital, which allows communication with medical consultants in the hospital or outside, as well as communication with specialized foreign experts for advice and discussions. on rare and clinically complex cases without the need to travel inland or abroad for treatment.
“The virtual hospital will be connected to the medical care provided to patients at home and with this service we can reach the patient anywhere,” explained Sobky.
In May, the country’s health institutions discussed telemedicine and its future in providing health services without the need for patients to be physically present with doctors or in hospitals.
Speaking on 2 June at the end of a seminar on the future of telemedicine in Egypt, Ashraf Ismail, head of General authority for health accreditation and regulation in Egypt, he said that telemedicine has already spread thanks toinformation technology and the COVID-19 pandemic, which demonstrated the need to maintain safety for both patients and staff.
A scientific study conducted by Egyptian researchers in October 2020 and published in the medical journal “Frontiers in Neurology” showed a high level of satisfaction among patients and doctors with the quality of medical services provided during virtual visits to follow Parkinson’s disease patients in Egypt during the pandemic. According to the study, the main obstacles were the lack of high-speed Internet connection and the difficulty of some patients in using modern technology.
Muhammad al-Sibai, a resident of the city of Abou Redis in southern Sinai, told Al-Monitor: “There are many areas in Sinai that lack good medical services and people have to travel long distances to be diagnosed with diseases and receive treatment. . Sometimes they go to Cairo, which is far from their place of residence ”.
Ahmed Hussein, member of the Egyptian medical unionhe told Al-Monitor that virtual hospitals were inevitable.
“Telemedicine has a number of positives, including reducing overcrowding in hospitals and medical clinics, as well as reducing the financial and health burden on the patient and saving commuting. However, there are some negatives. For example, it cannot be used for everything, such as surgery. There are also concerns that people pretending to be health care workers may commit fraud. ”
Hussein explained that some government agencies in Egypt have turned to telemedicine. For example, the Egyptian Ministry of Health launched a electronic platform free mental health services and addiction treatment.
According to statistics Published by the Egyptian Ministry of Health on July 25, the number of visitors seeking psychological support services, psychological counseling and addiction treatment via the platform has reached 40,936 since its launch in March.
