Egypt’s Minister of Health and Population, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, has reaffirmed that the country’s healthcare sector continues to receive residents of the Gaza Strip for medical treatment, while simultaneously managing the successful hosting of more than 500,000 refugees from Sudan.
His remarks came during the Qasr El Ainy Medicine Conference at Cairo University, held under the theme “Emergency and Disaster Medicine in a Changing World.”.
A Shift from Reaction to Preparedness
Minister Abdel Ghaffar stressed that Egypt’s emergency and disaster management system is transitioning from a reactive posture to one of full proactive readiness and preparedness.
He highlighted the pivotal role played by Cairo University hospitals and Qasr El Ainy in supporting this national and humanitarian approach.
“The healthcare sector in Egypt, represented by the Ministry of Health and university hospitals, continues to receive a large number of Gaza residents through the Rafah crossing for treatment, in addition to treating thousands of them over the past period, and absorbing more than 500,000 refugees from Sudan,” Abdel Ghaffar said.
He added that the current reality confirms the frequency of crises over the past seven years—including the COVID-19 pandemic and the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Sudan—making it imperative to move beyond mere reaction toward advance preparation in emergencies.
Emergency Medicine as a Pillar of Health Security
The minister emphasized that emergency medicine is not merely about treating patients in the first minutes in emergency rooms, but constitutes a fundamental pillar in preserving health security.
He noted that Egypt has established an integrated agency for dealing with crises and disasters, in addition to a major crisis room for natural and environmental emergencies that reports directly to the President of the Republic to ensure institutional coordination and rapid decision-making.
Qasr El Ainy’s Central Role and International Competitiveness
For his part, Dr.
Mohamed Sami Abdel Sadiq, President of Cairo University, praised the pivotal role of the Qasr El Ainy Faculty of Medicine as a genuine partner in enhancing the university’s competitiveness in international rankings.
He pointed out that the international students system achieved nearly $8 million during the past period, with Qasr El Ainy receiving the largest share.
He stressed that the success of emergency management requires an integrated system, continuous training, and rapid decision-making, affirming the university’s keenness to enhance cooperation with the Ministry of Health in the fields of emergency, disasters, and critical care.
Broader Humanitarian and Regional Context
Egypt’s role as a regional humanitarian hub has grown increasingly significant amid overlapping crises in its neighborhood.
The Rafah crossing has served as a vital lifeline for wounded and sick Palestinians seeking medical care unavailable in Gaza’s devastated healthcare infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the influx of over half a million Sudanese nationals fleeing conflict has placed additional demands on Egyptian hospitals, clinics, and social services.
The conference underscored the importance of institutional coordination, continuous professional training, and investment in emergency and disaster medicine as essential components of national resilience.
Egypt’s model—combining a centralized crisis management apparatus with the clinical capacity of its leading university hospitals—reflects a broader regional trend toward integrating healthcare into national security and disaster-response frameworks.
As climate-related disasters, pandemics, and regional conflicts continue to test health systems worldwide, Egypt’s emphasis on preemptive readiness signals a strategic recognition that effective emergency medicine is inseparable from long-term public health security and international humanitarian responsibility.
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