Health officials unveil plan to step up security at Egypt's hospitals

Officials from Egypt's interior, health and higher education ministries and the Egyptian Doctors Syndicate signed an official protocol on Thursday aimed at enhancing security at the nation's hospitals, which has reportedly deteriorated markedly since last year's uprising. The protocol calls for the formation of a special police division devoted exclusively to the health sector, setting up electronic gates for hospital visitors and establishing a 'higher health committee' in each of Egypt's 27 governorates. Governorates' respective security chiefs and Doctors Syndicate representatives would be included in the committees. The announcement of the protocol followed a high-level meeting at the health ministry between Doctors Syndicate head Khairy Abdel-Dayem, Health Minister Mohamed Hamed, Higher Education Minister Moustafa Mosaad, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Universities Ashraf Hatem, and Assistant Interior Minister Sami Seidhom. The meeting was convened to address the ongoing security crisis at Egypt's hospitals, where mob attacks have been reported weekly. The phenomenon has prompted a number of doctors to stage demonstrations and strikes to protest the authorities' failure to resolve the issue. Abdel-Dayem said the syndicate's role would be to coordinate between different authorities. Ahmed Lotfi, a member of the Doctors Syndicate board, said the health ministry would make up for shortfalls in medicine and medical supplies, implement additional hospital security measures, and install cameras at the nation's hospitals to monitor any violations that might take place in the future. (ahram)