The procedures, performed at Nile Specialized Hospital, included transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and treatment of chronic total coronary occlusions (CTO), two of the most complex forms of catheter-based cardiac intervention.
EHA Chairman Ahmed El-Sobky stated that the procedures were provided under Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS), with patients paying a co-payment of EGP 482, including hospitalization. Outside the system, he said, such interventions typically cost more than EGP 1 million.
El-Sobky said the operations reflect the availability of specialized infrastructure and trained teams at EHA hospitals in Upper Egypt, adding that catheter-based interventions offer an alternative to open-heart surgery by reducing complications and shortening recovery times.
According to the authority, the cardiac catheterization unit at Nile Specialized Hospital has performed more than 595 procedures over the past year, including emergency, diagnostic, therapeutic, vascular, and neurovascular interventions.
The hospital has delivered more than 890,000 medical services since joining the UHIS, including outpatient care, surgeries, and emergency treatment, the EHA said.
Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System was established under Law No. 2 of 2018 and is designed to provide mandatory health coverage for all citizens through a solidarity-based insurance model. The system separates financing, service provision, and regulation, with fixed co-payments and accreditation requirements for participating facilities.
The first phase of the programme began on a trial basis in Port Said in 2018 and was completed in July 2025, covering Port Said, Luxor, Ismailia, South Sinai, Suez, and Aswan. The phase focused on upgrading public facilities, introducing digital health systems, and expanding access to high-cost specialised services.
Planning for this phase is based on defined population standards, with hospital capacity calculated at one public-sector bed per 1,000 citizens and regulated private-sector participation capped at 30–40 percent of total beds, subject to accreditation.
Phase II extends coverage to Minya, Matrouh, Damietta, Kafr El-Sheikh, and North Sinai, and includes 69 hospitals with a combined capacity of more than 11,400 beds, alongside 669 primary healthcare units. Most of the primary care facilities are linked to the Haya Karima rural development programme.
According to official figures, total public spending on the system has exceeded EGP 48 billion, covering hospital construction, equipment procurement, digital infrastructure, and workforce training.
The UHIS currently serves more than 6.2 million beneficiaries and has delivered over 250 million medical services nationwide. The government has accelerated its rollout timeline, aiming for full national coverage by 2030 instead of the previously planned 2032 target.
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