Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El Saeed has uncovered the allocation of EGP 93.5 bn to the Egyptian healthcare sector in the FY 2020/21 budget, reflecting a 28% hike from allotments of the year-ago period, Invest-Gate reports.

The FY 2020/21 investment plan entails government investments of EGP 21.1 bn directed to the healthcare sector. This represents 8% of total public investments, up 72% from the previous fiscal year, El Saeed indicated in a recent ministerial statement.

Cairo makes up the largest share of 33% of public healthcare investments, followed by Dakahlia, Suez, Giza, and Sohag, with 5.2%, 4.9% 4.7%, and 4.5%, respectively. Upper Egypt provinces, meanwhile, composes 21% of the total state investments, the minister noted.

She pointed out that Egypt’s healthcare program involves the development of 79 hospitals and 294 primary healthcare units across nine of the country’s major governorates.

Under the program, the partial development of Aswan Fever Hospital will be undertaken, in addition to the establishment of Mansoura University Hospital’s fever department, with almost EGP 8.7 mn worth of investments.

The plan also includes the completion of EGP 6.1 mn works at Suez Hospital, along with the development of Hurghada Fever Hospital and Alexandria Fever Hospital, with about EGP 4.7 mn and EGP 4.4 mn, separately, according to El Saeed, stressing that increased spending on Egypt’s healthcare sector comes as part of the state’s efforts to combat Coronavirus.

On June 20, Egypt saw 1,547 new COVID-19 patients, upping the total number of confirmed cases to 53,758. The death toll currently stands at 2,106 and 14,327 people fully recovered, pursuant to the latest official data.