VZCZCXYZ0015
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHEG #0166/01 0281457
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281455Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0073
INFO RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO
UNCLAS CAIRO 000166
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/RA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV EG IZ
SUBJECT: EGYPT: Ministry of Health to Provide Assistance to Iraq
REF: 09 CAIRO 2194
1.(SBU) Key Points: --The Ministry of Health is expanding its medical cooperation with Iraqi and has signed agreements
to allow sick Iraqis to seek treatment at Egyptian facilities and to offer training opportunities for Iraqi doctors.
--The Ministry is reviewing an Iraqi request to design and build hospitals in Iraq but has already begun discussions to
gauge Egyptian construction companies' interest.
2.(SBU) Econoff met with Ministry of Health (MoH) Senior Advisor for International Cooperation and Agreement Affairs
Mokhtar Warida on January 27 to discuss Egypt's expanded health assistance programs for the Iraqi Ministry of Health.
According to Warida - a member of Health Minister Hatem El-Gabaly's cabinet, MoH assistance for Iraq will focus on three
key areas: increased medical access to Egyptian medical facilities for Iraqi patients, training, and hospital
construction. Warida noted that MoH only recently signed agreements with the Iraqi Health Ministry. This new cooperation
is part of the GoE-GoI joint committee (Ref A). ----------------- Medical Treatment -----------------
3.(SBU) Under a January 2010, Iraqis with "serious medical conditions" will be permitted to travel to Egypt to seek
treatment at government hospitals. Warida stated that this development came at the formal request of the Iraqi
government and that Egypt was prepared to ease visa and other travel restrictions for Iraqi patients. Emphasizing that
Iraqis would pay "the same prices as Egyptians, Warida said that medical bills are "significantly more expensive" for
other foreigners than for Egyptians. He also explained that as a result of this new agreement, MoH has established a
team dedicated solely to assisting Iraqis arriving for medical treatment. --------------------------------- Family
Medicine Training Programs ---------------------------------
4.(SBU) Warida noted MoH plans to offer new training programs for Iraqi doctors specializing in family medicine. He
explained that under an October 2009 protocol, Iraqi doctors would train for 3-6 months at MoH's National Training
Center and then return to Iraq to continue their medical practice. Warida said that Egypt is already collaborating with
doctors from Libya and Saudi Arabia through similar programs and looks forward to working with Iraqi professionals.
--------------------- Hospital Construction ---------------------
5.(SBU) MoH is considering an Iraqi request to design and construct hospitals, Warida said, and cautioned that this
proposal is currently under review. MoH has held preliminary conversations with Orascom Construction Industries, one of
Egypt's largest firms, about participating in this program and plans to meet with other local companies to determine
their interest. Warida noted that if MoH elects to take part, it would focus on building hospitals with 200 or more beds
but was unclear as to where in Iraq it would work. He believed that the Iraqi government has offered an in-kind payment
of oil for any hospital construction work, with no currency transfer to Egypt.
6.(SBU) Comment: This is the first occasion MoH has collaborated with the Iraqi Health Ministry and is notable for
Egypt's potential entry into Iraq to participate in the hospital construction plan. In previous meetings, El-Gabaly has
expressed his desire to build a Cairo-based medical center of excellence - serving the Middle East and African countries
- and this new partnership appears to be part of a broader plan to position Egypt as the regional focal point for health
policies and programs. SCOBEY