Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar on Friday approved a medical insurance plan for the Sham al-Nessim and the Christian Resurrection Day holidays.
Abdel-Ghaffar ordered all sectors and health directorates to prepare to provide the utmost medical services during the holiday period.
A ministry statement said that the preventive plan aims to continue providing the necessary preventive services by ensuring the availability of botulism serum for any cases of food poisoning, alongside providing hepatitis vaccines.
It assures the availability of a safe stock of serums and vaccines in preventive rooms within health affairs directorates and health departments across the country.
The plan also includes providing preventive services at quarantine points in land, sea, and air ports for travelers and those arriving from abroad, alongside receiving samples of food and water and ensuring their suitability for human consumption.
It further involves raising the readiness for preventive emergency room at the ministry and all directorates to operate incoming reports 24 hours a day which can then be quickly intercepted when necessary.
The plan also seeks to coordinate with public and central hospitals and poison centers to deal with any early suspected cases of food poisoning or gastroenteritis immediately, forming rapid support teams at the concerned governorate, and quickly preparing reports to follow up on the progress of the medical insurance plan.
The minister ordered to intensify oversight on places where salted and smoked fish are manufactured, displayed, and sold to ensure their suitability, while ensuring its workers all hold valid health certificates, and that the facilities adhere to good health practices.
The ministry’s statement explained that the plan includes ensuring the readiness of all critical departments and auxiliary departments to work efficiently, increasing the number of shift doctors in critical departments during vacation days.
It also seeks to ensure the availability of blood bags and blood products in additional quantities, alongside the availability of medicines and emergency supplies.
The emergency plan included the presence of ambulances in crowded places and gatherings throughout the 24 hours, the ministry noted, approving the technical condition of all ambulances and their suitability to work, the suitability of all medical devices and the availability of all medical supplies.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
