From Calls for Volunteers to Free Health Services, Here is How Egypt is Fighting the Pandemic
As part of the efforts exerted by the Egyptian Ministry of Health to take precautionary measures in the fight against the Coronavirus, it has recently started calling out for volunteers.
‘Be a Hero’ is the title of the central unit for medical service providers’ affairs’ campaign to attract volunteers, and the volunteering registration started online on Wednesday to attract medical professionals and students as well as anyone else willing to help.
The new volunteers are set to help medical teams in isolation and referral hospitals, field investigations, and follow-up teams. The unit has also dedicated an email address “cump.moh@gmail.com” for any inquires about the volunteering missions.
Meanwhile, doctors and healthcare platforms are offering free online medical services for the public. For example, doctors at the Alexandria Faculty of Medicine launched a Facebook group to offer free consultation sessions to anyone with health issues. The doctors said on their group that their diagnoses are only to guide the patients and minimize the risks associated with having them in public and crowded spaces, and by the time the pandemic ends, they will delete it.
Other medical consultation groups and Facebook pages are being launched in Egypt. They are taking the same steps as the doctors of Alexandria since they are bringing doctors from different fields to take turns answering people’s health concerns 24/7.
Mental health is also being taken care of through online psychotherapy platforms, such as Shezlong who are offering more than 100 thousand free online sessions for Egyptians across the country. The platform is also providing social media users with a series of mental health tips and videos through their social media accounts.
Vezeeta, a healthcare booking platform, is also giving free access to doctors, but they are doing it through phone calls from 9 am to 12 am. Takestep, in collaboration with Altibbi, is also now offering free coronavirus tests online.