Specially equipped wings for disabled prisoners

CAIRO – 7 August 2017: The Ministry of Interior announced Sunday that it will be dedicating equipped wings for prisoners with disabilities at the hospital of Wadial-Natroun prison. The wings are prepared to receive and provide necessary medical care for all special cases among prisoners with disabilities.

This step comes in line with Egypt’s vision to fulfill its human rights commitments, with special attention to disadvantaged groups in the society including people with disabilities. This was reflected through President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi announcement of the year 2018 as the year of people with disabilities.

Furthermore, Interior minister, Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, instructed all ministry departments, especially the prisons administration, to adopt a modern human rights based approach in dealing with prisoners, especially elderly and prisoners with disabilities.

Prime Minister, Sherif Ismail, estimates approximately 15 million people with disabilities reside in Egypt. There is a gap in accurate and reliable data on people with disabilities and their needs, something the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced paying close attention to during the 2017 census

In 2016, the Solidarity Committee in the Egyptian parliament submitted a bill in support of people with disabilities. The bill aimed at strengthening the efforts to integrate individuals with disabilities into the society, provide them with proper living conditions and access to quality services.