Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi opened on Sunday the second day of the 6th National Youth Conference, which is taking place at Cairo University.

The second day will feature a special session on developing the health insurance system, and will be attended by Minister of Health Hala Zayed and a number of medical school deans and young doctors.

A session called the 'National Project for the Information Structure of the Egyptian State' is also scheduled for the second day.

There will also be a question and answer session where the Egyptian president will answer queries from students as part of the 'Ask the President' online initiative.

The first day of the conference featured a roundtable discussion led by Education Minister Tarek Shawky on the development of the country's education system.

More than 3,000 university students, officials, ministers and MPs attended Saturday's sessions.

The event is also attended by top-scoring 2017/18 thanaweya amma graduates.

After members of Egypt's cabinet described their plan to develop Egypt's health insurance, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed that the "system will not succeed without achieving stability and security." 

Sisi opened the second day of the sixth National Youth Conference on Sunday, which is taking place at Cairo University.

"We have great fears of instability which threatens all the pillars of stability," said Sisi, adding that the revolutionary period which the country has been through since 2009 has taken its toll on strategic projects. 

He went on to say that "we have to bear the burdens of the economic reform; I am putting you all under pressure because I don't have any other option."

The second day features a special session on developing the health insurance system, attended by Egypt's Health Minister Hala Zayed, Finance Minister Mohamed Maaet and a number of medical school deans and young doctors.

A session called the 'National Project for the Information Structure of the Egyptian State' is also scheduled for the second day.

The Egyptian President is also set to attend a question and answer session, where he will answer queries from students as part of the "Ask the President" online initiative.

Hepatitis C, Population Growth, Waiting lists

Egypt's Health Minister Zayed presented seven health points which are part of the government's "strategic development plan 2030" which comprises a number of developmental aims set to take place over the next 12 years. 

Egypt's ministers of Health Hala Zayed and Finance Mohamed Maeet at the Development of health System session (Photo: Al-Ahram)

Zayed explained that the first issue to be tackled by her ministry is that of ending patient waiting lists in all public health sector hospitals in Egypt.

The minister added that there are currently 12,127 patients on public health sector waiting lists. The health ministry is aiming to end this list during the coming six months, according to Zayed.

Zayed showed a documentary film of current patients who have undergone operations as part of the plan to end the waiting lists.  

Egyptian President Sisi interjected after watching the documentary to say "if I you gave me the option to choose between eating or treating those people, no, I would treat those patients."

He continued, saying that if Egyptians were only to stand in support of the government, all the challenges facing Egypt would be solved. 

Zayed resumed her presentation, saying that the second point of the health ministry's development plan concerns medical checks to detect hepatitis C, which are to be conducted on 45 million Egyptian citizens.

"Screening patients will start from October 2018 — we have 3,800 medical units all over Egypt and 352 evaluation units for the virus," says Zayed. 

Zayed explained that controlling population growth is a crucial challenge which is just as important as combating terrorism.

First Health coverage law 

Egypt's Finance Minister Mohamed Maaet said that for the first time, Egypt will enact a comprehensive health coverage law in December 2018.

Egypt's ministers of Health Hala Zayed and Finance Mohamed Maeet at the Development of health System session (Photo: Al-Ahram)

He added that the introduction of 100 million people into the health insurance system will take time, structure, and a qualified human resources and information system. 

"Health care will help to reduce poverty rates, despite its cost," says Maeet. 

He pointed out that the health insurance initiative will cost the state EGP 18 billion (approx. US$ 1 billion). 

He repeated that the completion of surgical procedures waiting lists will be completed as a priority. He pointed out that 540 hospitals will be rehabilitated, upgraded and then transferred to a public body in a single system, adding that the implementation is set to start in Port Said at the end of the year at a cost of EGP 1.8 to 2 billion (around $ 100-112 million).

He stressed that economic reform will enable society to spend on health, education, social housing and citizens' services.