Egyptian Health Ministry Affirms Availability of COVID-19 Medicine, Treatment Protocols

Egyptians wearing face masks against COVID-19 queue up to vote on August 11, 2020 for a new senate in an upper house election. | Khaled Desouki/ AFP
Egyptians wearing face masks against COVID-19 queue up to vote on August 11, 2020 for a new senate in an upper house election. | Khaled Desouki/ AFP
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Egyptian Health Ministry Affirms Availability of COVID-19 Medicine, Treatment Protocols

Egyptians wearing face masks against COVID-19 queue up to vote on August 11, 2020 for a new senate in an upper house election. | Khaled Desouki/ AFP
Egyptians wearing face masks against COVID-19 queue up to vote on August 11, 2020 for a new senate in an upper house election. | Khaled Desouki/ AFP

The Egyptian Health Ministry has affirmed that COVID-19 medicine and treatment protocols for quarantined cases are available, noting that there is no need for panic buying of medicines.

As many as 890 patients were discharged from isolation hospitals after receiving necessary medical care, taking the number of recovered cases to 76,305 so far, according to a statement issued by the Health Ministry.

It added that 157 new coronavirus cases were registered, and 16 patients had died.

Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has followed up on the availability of drugs needed for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) under Egypt’s treatment protocol for the virus. Madbouly emphasized that he is constantly monitoring efforts to ensure the availability of drugs included in Egypt’s treatment protocol for the virus.

Dr. Hossam Al-Masry, medical adviser to the prime minister, said that the Medical Affairs Secretariat has been coordinating with the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) regarding medical supplies.

In August, the EDA has spent considerable effort to provide medical supplies related to the treatment protocol for the coronavirus. Masry added that these drugs have been made available by several pharmaceutical companies.

Dr. Tariq Al-Rifai, director of the Unified Governmental Complaints System at the Council of Ministers, revealed that the System received more than 8,000 complaints and requests related to the health field during August.

For the fifth month in a row, the System continued to receive complaints of citizens and COVID-19 suspects and patients.



Aid to Gaza 'Facing Total Collapse', Warn 12 NGOs

 A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
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Aid to Gaza 'Facing Total Collapse', Warn 12 NGOs

 A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)

The humanitarian aid system in Gaza is "facing total collapse" because of Israel's blockade on aid supplies since March 2, the heads of 12 major aid organizations warned Thursday, urging Israel to let them "do our jobs".

Israel has vowed to maintain its blockage on humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged territory, saying it is the only way to force Hamas to release the 58 hostages still held there.

"Every single person in Gaza is relying on humanitarian aid to survive," the chief executives of 12 NGOs, including Oxfam and Save the Children, wrote in a joint statement.

"That lifeline has been completely cut off since a blockade on all aid supplies was imposed by Israeli authorities on March 2," they said, adding that "This is one of the worst humanitarian failures of our generation."

A survey of 43 international and Palestinian aid organizations working in Gaza found that almost all have suspended or drastically cut services since a ceasefire ended on March 18, "with widespread and indiscriminate bombing making it extremely dangerous to move around", the NGOs said.

"Famine is not just a risk, but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts of Gaza," they said. "Survival itself is now slipping out of reach and the humanitarian system is at breaking point."

"We call on all parties to guarantee the safety of our staff and to allow the safe, unfettered access of aid into and across Gaza through all entry points, and for world leaders to oppose further restrictions."

Israel's renewed assault has killed at least 1,691 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, bringing the overall toll since the war erupted to 51,065, most of them civilians.

Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.