Egyptian MP Refaat Shakib, a member of the House of Representatives, revealed the details of his proposal to ban doctors from traveling for five years after their assignment.
Medical school graduates in Egypt are assigned by the Ministry of Health to two years of mandatory service at a primary health care facility, a policy known as “takleef.”
During a phone-in with TV host Amr Adib on the “al-Hekaya” (The Story) show on Monday evening, Shakib said “I want doctors to remain in Egypt for three to five years after their assignment to solve the doctor shortage crisis.”
“Doctors in various specialties must be available in all hospitals, and doctors’ salaries must be adjusted to ensure they continue working in Egypt,” he stated.
He said “(Egyptian) President (Abdel Fattah) al-Sisi launched the Decent Life project in Egypt and established state-of-the-art health units in every village across the country.”
Shakib added, “Today, in public hospitals, patients are only able to find one doctor when they enter, and many problems arise due to the shortage of doctors.”
“We have 18,000 Egyptian doctors graduating every year, and we find many doctors traveling abroad. Who will stay in the country to treat Egyptians?”
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
