Egypt's higher education ministry has launched the "Be Ready" initiative for junior doctors and medical students to help the country's healthcare sector combat the novel coronavirus.

The initiative aims to prepare “a second defence line of qualified doctors” to support the health sector and the state in their fight against the virus, read a statement on late Sunday by the ministry.

The ministry added that several faculties of medicine nationwide have put the initiative into effect, organising training programs for a number of volunteer senior students and medical interns.

The programs aim to educate them on how to deal with infected patients, how to safely home-isolate suspected cases, how to prevent infection among patients and medical staff in hospital, how to test patients, and how to use ventilators.

The health ministry had earlier opened registration for volunteers to help fight the spread of the coronavirus in either medical support teams in isolation and referral hospitals or in field investigation and follow-up teams.

The virus has so far infected 1,173 people in Egypt and killed 78.