Photo: Egyptian Cabinet official facebook page
According to Egypt’s Healthcare Authority (EHA), the patient suffered from an abdominal aortic aneurysm and a popliteal artery aneurysm and was treated using minimally invasive, catheter-based techniques in a single session—a first across hospitals operated by the authority.
Doctors ruled out open surgery because the patient had multiple chronic conditions, including kidney failure requiring dialysis, coronary artery disease, weakened heart muscle, and severe hypertension, making conventional surgical intervention extremely high-risk.
The abdominal aortic aneurysm was treated using endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), while the popliteal artery aneurysm was managed with covered stents. Both procedures were carried out without surgical incisions.
The operation was performed at the hospital’s vascular surgery department by a multidisciplinary team led by consultant Mohamed Labib, with support from anaesthesia, radiology, nursing, and medical staff.
EHA Chairman Ahmed El-Sobky said the case demonstrated the system’s capacity to deliver complex medical care previously available only at private or international facilities, noting that the same procedure would exceed EGP 2 million outside the public insurance scheme.
Egypt launched the Universal Health Insurance System in July 2019, starting in Port Said, as part of a phased rollout aimed at providing comprehensive healthcare coverage and reducing out-of-pocket medical costs.
The first phase of the programme has since expanded to Luxor, Ismailia, South Sinai, Suez, and Aswan, involving upgrades to hospital infrastructure, digitisation of medical records, and the integration of primary and specialized care under a unified insurance framework.
Authorities say the system has delivered over 250 million medical services since its launch, with investments in its first and second phases reaching EGP 48.5 billion.
Under a presidential directive, Egypt aims to expand UHIS nationwide by 2030, with future phases expected to include additional governorates such as Kafr El-Sheikh, Matrouh, North Sinai, Damietta, and Minya, while Alexandria remains under consideration.
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