Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, responded to reports of some private hospitals not implementing the decision to provide free treatment for emergency cases within the first 48 hours, affirming that this decision is a constitutional right for citizens, with costs borne by the state either through state-funded treatment or health insurance.

He added during a televised interview on the program “Masa’a DMC” with journalist Dina Esmat, aired on DMC channel: “We cannot generalize that it is not being implemented, but we notice negligence and laxity from some hospitals in providing emergency services without charging the patient.”

He emphasized that the ministry issued a clarifying statement to both hospitals and citizens about the right to receive emergency treatment until the condition stabilizes.

The Ministry of Health defines an “emergency case” as “any acute medical condition that poses an immediate threat to a person’s life, one of their organs, or bodily functions, requiring immediate intervention to prevent death, permanent disability, or serious complications.”

He added that emergency cases include life-threatening conditions such as cardiac or respiratory arrest, uncontrolled severe bleeding, acute circulatory collapse, conditions threatening loss of an organ or its function like strokes and heart attacks, spinal cord injuries, sudden loss of vision, as well as car accidents, choking or severe respiratory distress, acute poisoning, severe burns, loss of consciousness, and coma.

He stressed that the ministry will take “strict, firm, and immediate” measures including closing private hospitals and revoking licenses if violations are proven in private hospitals, while government hospitals will refer the responsible parties for immediate investigation with the possibility of referral to the public prosecutor.

He called on citizens to be partners in enforcing the law by immediately reporting any hospital that refuses to provide service or demands payment through the ministry’s hotline number “105”.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Minister of Health said the ministry is firmly committed to implementing Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1063 of 2014, which guarantees every citizen the right to receive free emergency treatment within the first 48 hours in all hospitals, whether public or private, without any financial charge and at the state’s expense.

He emphasized that requesting payment from any hospital as a condition for receiving emergency treatment is a blatant violation of the citizen’s legal right, urging anyone facing such a situation not to hesitate to contact the ministry’s hotline.