The American magazine "Foreign Policy" said that "the crisis of spreading the Corona virus deepened in Egypt because the government did not give priority to spending on health services, and if the virus continues to spread rapidly, it will not be long until the current health crisis explodes and turns into a political crisis."

A report by the author Nael Shama published by the magazine added that the Egyptian government announced on March 16 last year that it had recorded 126 confirmed cases of the new Corona virus, and by mid-April last, the number of infections rose to 2,700 cases, then this number increased by more than a third after a week .

The writer pointed out that the sharp rise in the number of Coronavirus infections confirmed the dire situation of the health care system in Egypt, as the country suffers from a shortage of doctors, nurses, medicines, medical supplies and the family, which makes the health care system unable to deal with a rapidly spreading and largely lethal epidemic .

According to the estimates of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate, about 120 thousand doctors work outside the country out of 220 thousand registered doctors, and public hospitals suffer from a shortage of nurses estimated at 60 thousand nurses. In addition, Egypt has 1.3 beds per thousand people, compared to about 13 beds in Japan, 8 in Germany, and 6 in France. 

Neglecting health
The writer pointed out that about 13% of the total infected with Coronavirus in Egypt are doctors, nurses and paramedics, which is almost the same percentage recorded in Italy and Spain. Fearing the threat that threatens them if they speak publicly, many doctors have turned to social media platforms to raise awareness of working conditions, mismanagement and a lack of supplies that they say put their lives at risk.

He explained that the Egyptian government has ignored the health care sector for decades, especially compared to the huge national budget allocated to the security forces. Government funding for the health sector declined from 6.7% of the national budget in 2000 to 4.2% in 2016.

Accordingly, the high number of Coronavirus infections will serve as a heartbreaking reminder to the country's leaders that the threats are not always of a military nature. Since Abdel Fattah El-Sisi presided over the country, he stressed the terrorist threat and the sacrifices made by both the Egyptian army and police to stop this threat.

Most hospitals in Egypt are not booked to deal with the spread of Corona virus (Al-Jazeera)

Economic crisis
On the other hand, widespread corruption and mismanagement of state resources exacerbated public frustration, as protests erupted against Sisi in September, after a former army contractor named Mohamed Ali published various videos in which senior Egyptian leaders were accused of corruption.

Al-Sisi's assertions of building more presidential palaces and claiming that they were built for the public good have compounded public anger. Meanwhile, the Egyptian government is continuing to establish a new commercial capital east of Cairo, estimated to cost $ 58 billion.

The writer stressed that this matter is very worrying in view of the economic problems that the country suffers from. The Egyptians are still suffering from the brunt of the Egyptian pound float in 2016, which lost half of its value against the US dollar, and the poverty rate at the national level in 2018 rose to 32.5%.

The country has only witnessed a slow economic recovery, and non-oil economic activity in the private sector contracted in January to its lowest level in nearly three years.

There is no doubt that the global closure due to the Corona virus will cause a sharp decline in the main sources of hard currency that the country desperately needs, such as tourism revenues (which represent about 12% of GDP), shipping fees through the Suez Canal, foreign investment and financial transfers. From overseas workers.

The author stated that unemployment and poverty rates will rise, and the temporary workforce in Egypt will be the most affected, and only 1.5 million workers will be able to obtain assistance from the Ministry of Manpower in the form of a subsidy of 1,500 Egyptian pounds (about $ 95).

The rest will not receive benefits because they are not registered with the Ministry. But without social coverage or a monthly stipend, millions of marginalized residents will be a time bomb.

Inside the Fever Hospital in Abbasiya, one of the quarantine headquarters for Corona patients (communication sites)

Governmental steps
As the health sector collapses under the weight of the epidemic and the suffering of the population is exacerbated, the government will find it impossible to continue to justify its huge expenditures on modern cities, presidential palaces and inflated security agencies.

The writer indicated that Sisi is likely to seek in the coming months to reduce public anger by honoring doctors and health workers and injecting more resources into the health care system, and he has already taken a number of steps in this regard.

The government has reduced the price of natural gas and electricity provided to factories, as well as delaying property taxes for three months, in support of the industrial sector and boosting investment. It also deliberately reduced taxes on shares, while the central bank reduced interest rates by 3% with the postponement of the due date of loan installments for six months for small projects and consumer loans, but these efforts may not be sufficient.

The absence of legitimacy
The writer mentioned that the observers of modern Egyptian politics are aware of the rapid growth of calls for change in times of crisis, and if the government does not take drastic steps, especially to support the health sector, then a wave of congestion can be expected on the horizon.

In the absence of the legitimacy that can be based on it, it appears that the current political class in Egypt has become weaker than it was before, the current crisis has increased the widening cracks appearing.

According to the writer, Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed has become a source of anger on social media platforms after traveling to Italy to provide medical assistance, while her country suffers from scarce supplies and high prices.

He concluded by saying, "If the possibility of the virus contributing to reshaping Egyptian politics and society is unthinkable, then there is a precedent, as in 1918 the Spanish flu in Egypt claimed the lives of 138,000 people. This catastrophe that came in the aftermath of World War I pushed the Egyptians to the brink of the abyss. In 1919, mass protests destabilized British rule, and the revolution was successful, and within three years, Egypt gained independence.