Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has endorsed Law No. 87 of 2024 concerning the organization of public facility commitments for the establishment, management, operation, and development of healthcare facilities, following the final approval of the House of Representatives. The law sparked controversy during discussions in parliament between the opposition and the majority, with opposition lawmakers viewing it as "a government abandonment of managing healthcare facilities," while the majority saw it as a boost for investment in the medical sector as outlined in the state ownership policy document.
The Prime Minister will issue the executive regulations for the accompanying law within one month from today, based on a proposal from the Minister of Health. The ratification of this law facilitates the privatization and involvement of the private sector in partnership with the government to manage and operate healthcare facilities.
According to Article One of the law, as published in the official gazette, the provisions of this law regarding the organization of public facility commitments for the establishment, management, operation, and development of healthcare facilities shall apply. However, the law does not apply to basic healthcare centers and units, family health services, blood operations, and plasma collection governed by the Blood Operations Regulation Law, which is Law No. 8 of 2021, except for blood operations that are considered complementary services as per the provisions of the accompanying law.
The recent ratification of the legal project by the Egyptian House of Representatives allowing private and civil sectors to participate in the management and operation of healthcare facilities has raised concerns regarding the healthcare services provided to low-income individuals and medical staff. According to the latest data from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, there are 662 public hospitals in Egypt that offer services at nominal fees. Public spending on health for the fiscal year 2023-2024, which ends in June, amounted to 147.8 billion Egyptian pounds (3.1 billion USD), compared to 128.1 billion pounds in the previous fiscal year.
