English 
Dr. Ayman Ashour, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, inaugurated a number of health projects at university hospitals at Alexandria University, in the presence of Professor Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa, President of Alexandria University, and Dr. Ali Abdelmohsen, Acting Vice President of the University for Education and Student Affairs and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Alexandria University, as well as a group of university and ministry leaders and a number of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In his speech, Dr. Ayman Ashour stressed that the Ministry pays great attention to developing medical and health services in university hospitals, as one of the basic pillars in providing health services to citizens alongside the hospitals of the Ministry of Health and Population, in addition to its educational and training role in preparing highly qualified doctors.
The Minister praised the development being witnessed by Alexandria University Hospitals, which contributes to performing their mission as desired, and providing the best medical services to the public. He also praised the important role played by Alexandria University with its distinguished scientific cadres and expertise in all specializations to serve citizens in various sectors, especially the medical and therapeutic sectors.
Dr. Ayman Ashour pointed out that these achievements and development work witnessed by university hospitals reflect the great interest that the political leadership attaches to developing and modernizing university hospitals nationwide, in order to provide the best services to citizens.
The Minister continued a presentation on the various aspects of development witnessed by university hospitals at Alexandria University and the medical services provided to the public, as well as the great development witnessed during the recent period, with the support of the state’s public budget and cooperation with civil society institutions and the private sector.
Dr. Abdelaziz Konsowa confirmed that the university administration pays great attention to Alexandria University Hospitals due to the medical services they provide, in addition to their role in training doctors. He stressed that the current development contributes to increasing the hospital capacity and providing distinguished health services to the people of Alexandria Governorate and neighboring governorates.
Dr. Konsowa added that Alexandria University Hospitals have enjoyed great development during the recent period, with support from the state’s public budget, praising the distinguished participation of the private sector and civil society in supporting medical projects in university hospitals, within the framework of the social responsibility of these institutions in supporting the development of services provided to citizens.
Dr. Ali Abdelmohsen pointed out that many health projects have been implemented at the university hospitals in Alexandria at a total cost of 184 million pounds, noting that these projects serve patients at Smouha Children’s Hospital, El-Shatby Hospital for Obstetrics and Gynecology, El-Shatby Children’s Hospital, Smouha University Specialized Hospital, the Main University Hospital, New University Hospital, Al-Mowasat University Hospital, and One-Day Medical Services Center.
During his tour, the minister inaugurated the pediatric cardiac catheterization unit affiliated with Smouha Children’s Hospital, at a total cost of 24 million pounds, with funding from the National Bank of Egypt. The unit includes a cardiac catheterization device for children, an echocardiogram device, an electrophysiological device for treating pulse disorders, and an attached Intermediate care unit to receive cases when necessary. The unit serves all pediatric patients on waiting lists, in addition to the opening of an adult heart catheterization unit at Smouha University Specialized Hospital, at a cost of 20 million pounds, funded by El-Gharabli Engineering Works Company. The unit includes a heart catheterization device and a multi-technical cauterization device to treat heart rhythm disorders.
The Minister also inaugurated d the Gynecological Oncology Surgery Center at El-Shatby Hospital for Women and Obstetrics, at a total cost of 33 million pounds, and fully funded by a Kuwaiti donor (Al-Asfour family). The center consists of a 4-floor building, containing 3 outpatient clinics, 3 fully equipped operating rooms, 4 surgical intensive care beds, and 21 rooms in the internal departments. The pediatric intensive care unit of El Shatby Children’s Hospital was also inaugurated, at a cost of 5.6 million pounds, with funding from Al-Shifa Bank. The center includes 10 fully equipped intensive care beds, an isolation room, and one neonatal nursery, with the possibility of performing dialysis if necessary.
The open-heart operating room of Smouha University Specialized Hospital was also inaugurated, at a cost of 12 million pounds. The fully equipped room is considered one of the basic components of the integrated heart center (diagnostic - therapeutic - surgical - interventional) at the Smouha Medical Complex, and the endoscopy unit was developed by the liver and gallbladder unit at the Internal Medicine Department of the Main University Hospital, at a cost of 6.2 million pounds. The unit includes 3 fully equipped endoscopy rooms. The unit serves many patients with liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. The general intensive care units in the new university hospital were also equipped, at a cost of 5.7 million pounds, including equipping 25 beds for general intensive care, in addition to an open-heart operating room affiliated with the New University Hospital, at a cost of 12 million pounds, and includes an open-heart machine, operating lights, a shock device, and complete machines for open-heart surgeries. All of these projects were funded in cooperation with Al Ragab Foundation.
Dr. Adel Abdelghaffar, the media advisor and official spokesman for the Ministry, said that the visit also included the inauguration of the post-operative care unit, affiliated with the Main University Hospital, the Surgery Building, at a cost of 21 million pounds. The construction was financed from the public budget and the equipment was financed from Al Ragab Foundation. The unit consists of 24 fully equipped care beds, including 3 rooms designated for isolation. An expansion of the children’s eye unit affiliated with the One-Day Medical Services Center was opened, at a cost of 14 million pounds in three phases, funded by civil society organizations. The project contains 5 rooms, and the first phase was completed, including preparing a fully equipped operating room, 32 beds for internal ward accommodation with all attached services, and a fully equipped recovery ward, with an implementation rate of 80%.
The official spokesman added that the minister inspected the new bone marrow transplant unit, affiliated with Al-Mowasat University Hospital, which costs 30 million pounds, with funding from the Al Suleiman Foundation, noting that the unit has been actually operated, as His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, President of the Republic, inaugurated it using Video Conference technology, within the activities of the National Youth Conference held in the city of Burg El Arab, explaining that the unit consists of 7 state-of-the-art capsules and serves all bone marrow transplant patients.
The Minister and President of Alexandria University honoured the figures of civil society and the business community who contributed to providing financial support for the establishment of medical units and projects at Alexandria University Hospitals, within the framework of the social responsibility of civil society and the private sector in community service.
The visit witnessed the presence of Dr. Yasser Refaat, Deputy Minister for Scientific Research Affairs, Dr. Mustafa Refaat, Secretary of the Supreme Council of Universities, Dr. Walaa Sheta, CEO of the Science, Technology and Innovation Financing Authority, and Dr. Adel Abdelghaffar, media advisor and official spokesman for the Ministry.
