CEO of Wadi El Neel for Medical Services, on Covid-19 and Health Services in Egypt

“We owe Egypt a lot and we want to pay back”, Engineer Mohamed Saleh, CEO of Wadi El Neel for Medical Services, speaks to Egypt Today about the efforts undergone by the company to deal with the Coronavirus Pandemic, and its plans for a strong network that provides the best health services for the Egyptian people.

The medical services sector might be one of the most important sectors in 2020. As the whole world has been trying to contain Covid-19 Pandemic, how has your esteemed company responded to the crisis?

Thanks to God and to the directions of the state under the leadership of President Abdelfattah al-Sisi, we had a positive and effective role in containing the coronavirus crisis. Out of our sense of social responsibility towards the Egyptian people, our company supplied hospitals with a lot of face masks, detergents and sanitizers of the highest quality, such as Demerdash Hospital, the Cancer Institute and others. And we are still offering more support and the necessary assistance.

There has been a great variation among countries in their responses to the Coronavirus situation. How would you evaluate the different national measures? What would you consider to be the most effective policies in Egypt? And what should we do further?

Most countries have taken strict measures and precautionary actions to confront the Coronavirus Pandemic, including imposing curfews for most of the evening hours and some of the morning hours as well.

Some imposed bans on travel among governorates and made face masks mandatory for all citizens, along with a monetary fine. Some countries turned a lot of public hospitals into quarantine centers to isolate patients; and governments covered treatment expenses, and provided face masks and sanitizers with a symbolic price.

Of the important measures taken by Saudi Arabia, for example, was imposing a complete curfew in Mecca and Medina and suspending pilgrimage and Umra and closing down the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina until the end of the pandemic. And in Egypt, a curfew was imposed, as well as closing mosques, churches, cafes, restaurants and clubs, and a number of establishments that deal directly with the public.

Companies and institutions also publish ads that raise awareness and call for the public to wear masks and gloves, maintain social distancing, and only go out in case of absolute necessity, and not hold any gatherings or family visits, and to wash their hands with water and soap once they touch anything.

How has Wadi El Neel responded to the ongoing crisis, being a pioneer company? Tell us about the preventive measures taken by the company.

Since the beginning of the crisis, we have sterilized the headquarters of the company completely. We also installed sterilization devices in front of the company’s door for all individuals coming in. The device works automatically by spraying the finest sterilizers. We also decided to sterilize everyone coming to the company, whether visitors or employers. And we decided that no one would get in otherwise, and unless wearing a face mask.

We also decided that only 50 percent of the employees would work from office and the rest worked from home. We decided that female employees would follow the same decision and that 100% of those who have kids would work from home, online. And everyone gets their full salaries. 
And out of our sense of responsibility towards everyone, the United Company of Pharmacists offered EGP5 million to Tahya Masr Fund to contribute in alleviating the [burdens of the] Coronavirus crisis for the Egyptian people.
 

Have you sensed an increase in demand for medical insurance worldwide after the crisis? And what about Egypt?

Of course, the crisis led to an increase in demand for medical insurance globally and locally. We found great demand from companies to clean and sterilize their headquarters and create insurance for all their employees.

Wadi El Need deals with a lot of customers locally and internationally. How has the pandemic affected your services in the Middle East region and beyond in light of the closure of airspace?

We have a big network of hospitals, clinics and laboratories in most of the Middle Eastern countries, Asia and Europe, more than any medical insurance company in the world. This diversity allows for the customer to receive the medical service [they need] in the nearest hospital to their place of residence without having to travel or move anywhere to receive the best service.
 
The Airspace is slowly opening up but passengers are cautious. What are the services that will be offered to encourage them to seek international health care?

We have a strong network of hospitals and medical centers and laboratories inside and outside Egypt, so that the participant can receive treatment wherever they go. They get a brochure that lists all hospitals and medical centers in every country.

Before the spread of the virus, Wadi El Neel was working on a plan to build its own network with its own hospitals and centers. Tell us more about this vision and the progress that you have made.

Wadi El Neel has been working since its establishment on a plan to build a big network that includes all hospitals, medical centers, clinics and laboratories that offer outstanding medical services at the highest level… We are seeking that the customer of our insurance services be special; that they receive the best medical service needed in the governorate where they live and not have to travel to another one. Finally, we are working hard and with diligence to advance the medical services offered to the Egyptian people under the auspices of our wise leadership.