Egypt's Health minister: 376 hospitals nationwide receive COVID-19 cases

CAIRO - 31 May 2020: Health Minister Hala Zaid asserted on Saturday that 376 hospitals nationwide are now receiving COVID-19 cases.

The minister added that 5,400 medical units and 1,000 fixed and mobile medical convoys nationwide were allocated to distribute medical bags and protective supplies for those who were in contact with coronavirus confirmed cases.

Zaid's remarks came during an inspection tour of El-Sahel Teaching Hospital and El Mataria Educational Hospital, as well as a medical convoy in Cairo's Darasa district, according to a statement released by Health Ministry Spokesman Khaled Megahed.

Zayed also directed all hospitals affiliated to the ministry to be on alert to serve the cases of coronavirus.

During the tour, the minister reassured on the medical teams, listened to their problems, and directed to surpass any obstacles facing them during their duty. She also thanked all medical teams for their efforts to face the virus as well as serving patients.

Meanwhile, she has called on those who have recovered from coronavirus to head to the nearest ministry-affiliated blood transfusion centre to donate plasma to contribute to the treatment of critical coronavirus cases.

The minister stressed that they should do so only after 14 days have passed since the date of their recovery.

A successful experiments have been conducted involving the transfusion of blood from recovered patients to 30 people infected with the coronavirus. The ministry said blood from the recovered patients contains antibodies that can help fight the respiratory virus.

On Saturday, the health ministry announced 1,367 new coronavirus infections, the highest single-day increase announced to date, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 23,449 since the detection of the first case on 14 February.