Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky, Chairman of the Healthcare Authority and General Supervisor of the Universal Health Insurance Project, met with Ambassador Ivan Jukl, the Czech Republic’s Ambassador to Egypt, along with Ondřej Kučí, Head of Economic and Trade Affairs at the Embassy, to discuss avenues for enhancing bilateral cooperation in the healthcare sector.
The meeting was attended by key figures from the Healthcare Authority, including Dr. Amir El-Telwany, Executive Director of the Authority, Dr. Magdy Bakr, Advisor for Clinical Governance and Technical Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Hammad, Advisor for Health Policies and Systems and Director of the Technical Office, Dr. Riham Salama, Director of International Cooperation and Communications, and Dr. Mazen Alaa El-Din, Supervisor of Development Cooperation Programs and Assistant Director of International Cooperation.
The discussions focused on knowledge exchange between Egypt and the Czech Republic in the healthcare and universal health insurance sectors, particularly in localizing medical device manufacturing, medical coding, and health insurance systems.
Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky emphasized that an agreement had been reached to conduct intensive training programs for Egyptian medical and nursing professionals, aiming to enhance healthcare service efficiency under the Universal Health Insurance System (UHIS).
The Chairman also highlighted Egypt’s commitment to leveraging Czech expertise in local medical equipment manufacturing, noting that the Czech Republic has an advanced model for integrating private sector participation in healthcare, which could offer valuable insights for Egypt’s expanding healthcare sector.
Another key topic of discussion was enhancing healthcare services for refugees in Egypt, ensuring their inclusion in national healthcare plans. Dr. El-Sobky pointed out that Egypt hosts a large number of refugees, including those from Gaza and Sudan, underscoring the need to improve emergency medical services and long-term healthcare solutions for displaced communities.
Additionally, the meeting addressed Egypt’s interest in adopting the Czech model of the DRG system (Diagnosis-Related Groups), a financial management framework that ensures sustainability in healthcare financing and enhances service quality. The Chairman praised the Czech Republic’s advanced healthcare policies and reforms, stating that learning from their expertise in DRG implementation would help maintain the financial viability of Egypt’s healthcare system.
Dr. Ahmed El-Sobky announced the establishment of a joint committee comprising representatives from Czech and Egyptian companies to analyze market needs and explore investment opportunities in the Egyptian healthcare sector.
He also invited Ambassador Ivan Jukl to visit one of Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance governorates to witness firsthand the nation’s comprehensive health coverage model and ongoing reforms in public healthcare infrastructure.
Ambassador Ivan Jukl expressed his admiration for Egypt’s healthcare advancements, reaffirming his country’s commitment to supporting Egypt’s healthcare transformation through the exchange of expertise, localization of medical equipment manufacturing, and expansion of research partnerships.
He emphasized that the Czech Republic views Egypt as a strategic entry point into the African market, affirming plans to attract more Czech investments to Egypt’s rapidly growing healthcare sector.
This meeting marks a significant step in strengthening healthcare collaboration between Egypt and the Czech Republic, with a focus on training, technology transfer, and investment opportunities aimed at advancing Egypt’s Universal Health Insurance System and positioning the country as a regional healthcare leader.
