Egypt

In emergencies call 123 (ambulance) to obtain help.


Healthcare and medical care

Some hospitals in Egypt’s large towns and tourist areas are of an international standard. Treatment fees in private hospitals are high by Finnish standards, but it is recommended to use them. Hospitals do not treat a patient unless travel insurance covers the expenses or a high amount of money is deposited in the hospital. For this reason, those travelling to Egypt should take out comprehensive travel insurance.

Doctors in private hospitals in Egypt have frequently studied abroad. Primary healthcare services are sufficiently available especially in the areas of Cairo, Alexandria, Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh, but the availability of demanding treatment in some areas may be limited.

The majority of public hospitals do not accept foreign insurance documents as payment commitments and require payment in cash. When you pay for medical services yourself, the doctor or hospital will provide you with a receipt and a breakdown of the treatment, which you can submit to your insurance company. Pharmacies, too, will provide you with an official receipt for medicines purchased. These documents shown the doctor´s details, name in capitals as well as the contact information of the consultation office and hospital (address, telephone and fax number, and website address in the case of hospitals). However, it is always a good idea to check this.

Private medical care is available, especially in Cairo (hospitals Anglo American Hospital Zamalek, As Salam International Hospital Maadi, Dar Al Fouad Hospital Sheik Zayed and Saudi-German Hospital Heliopolis) and in Alexandria (German Hospital). The doctors usually speak English, the nurses less often. Private hospitals often accept foreign insurance documentation as a payment commitment. You should ask the hospital about this in advance.

Some hotels in tourist resorts, for example, in El Gouna and Hurghada, can work in partnership with doctors. In this case, a hotel can call for a doctor.

The ambulance emergency number in Egypt is 123. However, ambulance service availability varies by area and it may take a long time to reach the patient, especially due to heavy traffic jams. Healthcare services outside large towns are often inadequate, especially with respect to demanding medical care.

Medication

In general, pharmacies are widely available in Egypt and many medications can be obtained without a prescription. When you purchase medicines, make sure that the product is in its original packaging and clearly labelled. Some pharmacies sell counterfeit medicines which, in the worst case scenario, can be dangerous.