Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has directed for medical supplies to be made available at hospitals, amid a rise in cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Madbouly’s instructions came as he chaired the first meeting of the Supreme Committee for Medicines. During the meeting, the Prime Minister also asserted the need to ensure the availability of medicines and medical supplies in hospitals nationwide, in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Madbouly said that the first meeting comes amid the exceptional circumstances and challenges imposed by the pandemic.
He reiterated the importance of continuing the coordination process to quickly provide the required health services to citizens across Egypt, in addition to organising committees from the Ministry of Health to ensure the regularity of work in all hospitals and the availability of various medical supplies.
Tamer Essam, Chairperson of the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA), said that the necessary support has been provided to many companies to produce coronavirus medicines, such as Remdesivir and Favipiravir.
Essam added that the authority is working on facilitating access to preparations and ensuring the medicines availability, such as the availability of medicines for chronic diseases, and the pharmaceutical products used in the treatment protocol for coronavirus patients.
He said that the authority is also working on providing reliable information to specialists as well as to the public, and spreading community awareness regarding the safe and optimal use of medicines. The EDA is carrying out supervisory inspection campaigns on pharmaceutical facilities to inspect any distribution of medicines from unknown-source.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed said that her ministry has examined and provided treatment for 26 million citizens as part of the presidential initiative to detect and provide treatment for chronic diseases.
She added that the Ministry of Health and Population is fully coordinating with private hospitals that provide service to coronavirus patients.
