Health Min. unveils comprehensive medical coverage plan for New Year, Christmas celebrations

CAIRO - 30 December 2025: Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, has announced a comprehensive medical insurance and healthcare coverage plan for the 2026 New Year and Christmas celebrations, aimed at safeguarding public health across Egypt.

Integrated Medical Preparedness

According to Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the Ministry’s official spokesperson, the plan is built around several key pillars, including preventive measures, ambulance services, critical and emergency care, and health awareness. It also includes the formation of a central operations and monitoring room bringing together various Ministry sectors, alongside subsidiary monitoring rooms within health directorates in all governorates.

The Ministry has raised readiness levels across public and central hospitals, ensuring the availability of sufficient stocks of medicines and medical supplies. Additional medical resources have been allocated to therapeutic convoys and mobile clinics, which have been strategically deployed near churches, parks, public gardens, and recreational areas, with special support directed to remote regions and Upper Egypt governorates.

Egyptian Ambulance Authority on High Alert

Dr. Abdel Ghaffar added that the Egyptian Ambulance Authority has also heightened its state of readiness, deploying 2,212 ambulances in the vicinity of parks, public spaces, places of worship, highways, and main traffic arteries. In addition, 11 river and sea ambulances (launches) have been placed on standby.

A central crisis management room has been activated around the clock to monitor developments and issue regular reports, in direct coordination with the Cabinet’s crisis management room. Wireless communication links have also been established with police emergency services, civil defense, and health directorates nationwide.

Preventive and Food Safety Measures

The spokesperson confirmed the continued provision of preventive services, strict implementation of precautionary measures at border crossings, food safety monitoring, disease vector control, and oversight of public gatherings. Strategic reserves of vaccines and antitoxins have been secured at hospitals and health directorates, while preventive health departments have been placed on high alert to receive reports 24/7.

The Ministry is also closely monitoring the global epidemiological situation and coordinating with poison control centers to ensure early detection of food poisoning cases. Emergency medicines and vaccines have been made readily available, and joint inspection teams from the General Administration for Food Control and local health directorates have been formed to intensify inspections.

Dr. Abdel Ghaffar concluded by reaffirming the availability of emergency healthcare services and medical consultations related to poisoning cases through the Ministry’s hotline 137, operating around the clock throughout the holiday period.