Health and Population Minister Hala Zayed inaugurated the first floating hospital on the Nile in Aswan governorate on Tuesday evening to provide free medical services for children and mothers in Upper Egypt governorates, in cooperation with Rotary Egypt.
Zayed explained that the hospital will be touring eight governorates every week, starting from Aswan and then moving on to Luxor, Qena, Sohag, Assiut, Minya and Beni Suef.
The hospital will conclude its tour in Giza, Zayed said, pointing out that it targets serving 50,000 mothers and children.
The idea of the floating hospital aims to attract children and mothers to conduct medical examination and provide treatment for them free of charge, Zayed mentioned, noting that it includes all medical specialties for the child and mother.
It also includes an analysis laboratory, a unit for sonar and echocardiography, as well as a pharmacy to provide medicines for free, according to the minister.
Zayed pointed out that the hospital includes a medical staff at the highest level and a nursing team, adding that early detection tests of anemia and iron deficiency, hearing impairment, ear diseases, eyes, breast cancer, and diabetes in children will be available. Patients will be treated for free if any of the above diseases are detected, she said.
In addition to providing the treatment services, a number of awareness campaigns will be organized on board the floating hospital on the basics of nutrition and the importance of breastfeeding, Zayed added.
