The official spokesperson for Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, stated that Egypt has received a preliminary offer from an Italian alliance to build a hospital in New Cairo with an expected investment of 3 billion Egyptian pounds.

Abdel Ghaffar told Al Arabiya Business on the sidelines of a health conference in Cairo on Tuesday that the Ministry of Health is awaiting the preliminary offer to become an official proposal to study it carefully and make a decision.

“There is European and Gulf interest in investing in Egypt’s health sector currently, whether through building new hospitals or managing and operating existing government hospitals,” Abdel Ghaffar said.

The spokesperson revealed that the ministry has received preliminary interests from about 15 local, Gulf, and European companies to exploit and manage between 3 and 4 government hospitals.

“The hospitals of interest include Heliopolis in New Cairo, Maadi Charity Hospital, and Zayed Specialized Hospital,” Abdel Ghaffar added, noting that the foreign companies interested in these hospitals come from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Spain, Italy, alongside the Egyptian private sector.

In June 2024, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ratified Law No. 87 of 2024 regulating the granting of public utility commitments to establish, manage, operate, and develop health facilities, after parliament approved the law in May of the same year.

The law aims to improve the quality of health services provided to citizens and to enhance their efficiency and equitable geographic distribution by encouraging the participation of the private and community sectors in healthcare services.

The law sets a package of conditions allowing the private sector to manage and operate government entities, including maintaining health facilities, ensuring the beneficiary has the necessary expertise to operate the health facility, and that the contract duration is no less than 3 years and no more than 15 years, with all facilities returning to the state at the end of the contract period in good condition and without compensation.

Earlier, Egyptian Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said that investing in health in Egypt is one of the best types of investment based on studies conducted, especially since the number of hospital beds in Egypt is still below global averages.

The number of hospital beds in Egypt reaches 126,000 beds at a rate of 1.2 beds per 1,000 citizens, which is less than the global average of 3 beds per 1,000 citizens, according to the minister.