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Egypt: Top Medical Union Warns of Health System 'Complete Collapse'

Egyptian medical staff intubate a patient in a coronavirus isolation ward at a Cairo hospital. AFP
Egyptian medical staff intubate a patient in a coronavirus isolation ward at a Cairo hospital. AFP
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Egypt: Top Medical Union Warns of Health System 'Complete Collapse'

Egyptian medical staff intubate a patient in a coronavirus isolation ward at a Cairo hospital. AFP
Egyptian medical staff intubate a patient in a coronavirus isolation ward at a Cairo hospital. AFP

Egypt's top medical union on Monday said it was worried over a possible "complete collapse" of the country's health system, saying the health ministry of fell short on protecting healthcare workers from coronavirus.

Egypt, the most populous Arab country, has recorded more than 16,000 COVID-19 cases and over 700 deaths.

"The syndicate is warning that the health system could completely collapse, leading to a catastrophe affecting the entire country if the health ministry's negligence and lack of action towards medical staff is not rectified," the Egyptian Medical Syndicate said in a statement.

COVID-19 has killed 19 doctors and infected more than 350, according to the EMS, a body representing thousands of Egyptian doctors, AFP reported.

"The EMS holds the health ministry entirely responsible for the mounting deaths and infections among doctors due to its negligence... that is tantamount to death through a dereliction of duty," it added.

The EMS called on the "executive, judicial and legislative" branches of government to force the health ministry to comply with its demands.

These included providing all doctors with personal protective equipment (PPE), training for dealing with coronavirus cases and testing for those with symptoms or who have come into contact with infected people.

Hospitals have been hit by a flight of doctors abroad in recent years while the frontline staff left behind face shortages of medical supplies and protective gear that heightens the risk of infection.

The EMS statement came after 32-year-old doctor Walid Yehia died on Saturday after being unable to secure a bed in an isolation hospital.

According to AFP, the country's 17 isolation hospitals reserved for novel coronavirus patients reached their maximum capacity at the start of the month, deputy health minister Ahmed al-Sobki told local press last week.

A colleague resigned in protest from the same Cairo hospital where Yehia worked.

In a widely shared online post, the co-worker blamed the health ministry for not treating Yehia as soon as he showed symptoms of the virus.

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Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
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Syrians Rejoice during First Eid after Assad's Fall

Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD
Hundreds of Syrian Muslims perform Eid al-Fitr prayers at the Grand Mosque in Maarat al-Numan in Idlib, Syria, 31 March 2025. EPA/BILAL AL HAMMOUD

Eid al-Fitr in Syria was charged with newfound joy this year, as thousands freely celebrated the holiday for the first time after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

From the early morning hours, crowds of men, women and children flocked to pray at Damascus's historic Umayyad Mosque in the Old City.

"This is the first time we truly feel the joy of Eid, after getting rid of Assad's tyrannical regime," Fatima Othman told AFP.

Following prayer, worshippers exchanged Eid greetings while street vendors sold colorful balloons and toys to children posing for photos with their parents.

"Our celebration is doubled after Assad's fall," said Ghassan Youssef, a resident of the capital.

A few kilometers (miles) away, on the slopes of Mount Qasyun overlooking Damascus -- a site previously off-limits to Syrians until Assad was deposed on December 8 -- a few thousand people gathered at Unknown Soldier Square for an open-air prayer.

Among them were members of the security forces and the army, dressed in uniform and armed. The road leading to the square was packed, according to an AFP photographer.

Some worshippers distributed sweets to celebrate, while the three-star Syrian flag, adopted by the new authorities, waved in the air.

Under the previous government, access to the Unknown Soldier monument was typically restricted to Assad and his close associates, who would lay wreaths there during national ceremonies.

'Celebration of celebrations!'
The memorial, where a giant screen broadcast the Eid prayer, is near the presidential palace.

There, interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa prayed alongside Syria's new mufti Osama al-Rifai and several cabinet ministers in the presence of a large crowd.

He later delivered a speech emphasizing the country faced "a long and arduous road to reconstruction but possesses all the resources needed to recover".

This came two days after the formation of a new government, which faces daunting challenges in a country devastated by 14 years of civil war.

Wael Hamamiya, who had been in Sweden since the early days of the conflict, returned to Damascus to celebrate Eid with his family.

"This is my first Eid here in nearly 15 years. I truly feel the celebration in its full meaning," he told AFP, beaming.

"Everyone who has come is over the moon. This is the celebration of celebrations!"

The occasion was more somber for some Syrians, who were able to visit the graves of loved ones that had been off-limits during Assad reign, especially in former opposition strongholds.

At al-Rawda Cafe in Damascus, 36-year-old Amer Hallaq chatted with friends after returning from exile in Berlin where he ended up after dodging compulsory military service in 2014.

"For years, I thought I'd never see my family again or celebrate Eid with them," Hallaq said.

"The joy of liberation and victory is immense, but there's still a lot of work ahead. This is only the beginning of the road."