Migration in search of wealth is a dream that entices many groups of Egyptians, like many other peoples, and it especially insists on those industrious groups who are difficult to obtain the desired livelihood in their country, but the tendency of doctors - who are among the most prominent groups in Egyptian society - to travel outside the country It seems confusing, especially as they cause a vital shortage in the medical sector in light of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic.
Al-Jazeera Net approached this phenomenon, especially with the release of a recent study indicating that Egyptian doctors, or the “White Army,” according to what the Egyptian media called them during the first wave of the pandemic, were the most emigrated segment in Egypt during 2020.
This was confirmed by medical sources in interviews with "Al-Jazeera Net", indicating that the migration of doctors after the virus crisis is not related to the creation of wealth, as was usual in the past, calling for urgent solutions to be considered for this disturbing phenomenon that harms society.
A gap widening
A few days ago, the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies issued a (non-governmental) study that included an analysis of the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on various sectors of the Egyptian economy, and one of the most prominent things that showed was the existence of a significant shortage in the medical sector in Egypt.
The center attributed this shortage to the emigration of doctors abroad, which increased after the first wave of the Corona virus, and their number was estimated at 7 thousand doctors, in addition to the death of about 276 doctors as a result of infection with the virus during the first wave, which rose to 286, in the latest statistics of the Egyptian Medical Syndicate.
The salary of an Egyptian doctor at the beginning of the appointment does not exceed 2,500 pounds ($ 155), and upon obtaining a master’s degree, it rises to 4,000 pounds ($ 250), while after the doctorate he gets about 5,000 Egyptian pounds ($ 315).
Last March, the General Syndicate of Physicians called on the government to raise the value of the infection allowance for doctors, especially since they are most vulnerable to Corona infection, but without response, and the Egyptian doctor charges 19 pounds per month ($ 1.2) for infection, while it was recently decided to pay them an increase. Under the name of "medical professions allowance", with a value of 500 pounds (about $ 30), by a decision of the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
The interesting thing is that a group such as judges receive 3 thousand pounds a month as an infection allowance, although they are not exposed to this risk as doctors.
Wealth is not the cause
"I always had the idea of traveling outside the country, but the love of the homeland and my strong bond with my family were what prevented it," so Dr. Ahmed - who refused to mention his full name - expressed the idea of emigration outside Egypt.
He added in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, "The reasons that prompted me to think about immigration are many, and unlike everyone else, the material reason was not the main reason for that desire, but to live with dignity as a human being ... it is enough for me to live a decent life with my children and my wife and work in hospitals that provide a good atmosphere for work." .
And the young doctor continued, "This desire increased greatly after the spread of the Corona epidemic and what happened to me as a doctor in a medical isolation hospital in Egypt, after I saw inhuman dealing with doctors and not providing a suitable environment for them, but rather not providing material or even moral compensation for their sacrifices in the midst of this epidemic. ".
Ahmed denounced the media pressures that the doctors are exposed to, holding the medical team responsible for mistakes in managing the crisis, instead of greeting them, in addition to the very poor financial compensation and the doctors ’almost dilapidated housing, he said.
He added with a sigh, "Even those who are physicians infected with the epidemic cannot perform a swab in the hospital in which he works, and both suffer to obtain a sick leave from the health insurance authority responsible for those vacations, and he is even treated worse as if he claims illness."
And concludes the doctor, wondering with regret, "Doesn't all this call for thinking about emigration from Egypt ?!"
According to a study prepared by the Supreme Council of Universities and the Technical Office of the Egyptian Ministry of Health, in mid-June 2019, that the current strength of doctors inside Egypt does not exceed 38% of the basic forces licensed to practice the profession, by 82 thousand doctors from all specialties out of 213 A physician with valid permits to practice the profession.
The government study indicated that about 62% of Egyptian doctors work outside Egypt, or they have resigned from government work to devote themselves to working in private hospitals or in their private clinics, and the number of doctors registered in the Egyptian Ministry of Health is 57,000, while sectors The ministry needs 110,000 doctors to cover its requirements.
Resignation is a cure
For his part, the young doctor "Sherif Ahmed", who left Egypt in mid-September of last year, expressed his feeling of deep sadness after submitting his resignation from the Egyptian Ministry of Health, heading to one of the Gulf countries, looking for a job and a better life.
He added in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, "At first I submitted my resignation from the Ministry of Health, after what I saw of an interrogated death in the medical isolation wards. There are no medical services or any protection elements for us as doctors."
He continued, "I saw my friends falling one after the other before my eyes, and indeed I and my family were infected with the Corona virus, and I could not find a place for me in government hospitals, and I resorted to a private hospital, thank God I recovered and my family, and immediately decided to leave Egypt."
Doctor Sherif indicated that he communicated with his friends outside Egypt, as they convinced him of the necessity to travel, especially since his medical specialty is required, adding that the reason for his travel was not at all in search of money - which he really sees for those who seek it - but the main reason for him was to search for a decent life for his young family. Which endured harsh conditions, as he put it.
Mustafa Gawish: Doctors suffer a lot (social networking sites)
Disturbing statistics
In turn, the former official of the Egyptian Ministry of Health, Mostafa Gawish, said that the migration of Egyptian doctors began more than 3 years ago, and reached according to the Egyptian Medical Syndicate statistics until 2019, which indicates that more than 10 thousand doctors have left.
He also cited statements by the Egyptian Minister of Health Hala Zayed in 2018, that more than 60% of doctors have left Egypt, of whom 70,000 are in the Gulf countries only.
In statements to Al-Jazeera Net, Gawish added, "After the emergence of the Corona pandemic in Egypt, very dangerous matters appeared in the medical sector, including the weakness of capabilities, equipment and infrastructure in Egyptian hospitals and the complaints of doctors from the first day of the emergence of the virus until today, from the severe shortage of medical supplies and protective devices against infection." .
Gawish pointed out that the doctors are facing corruption in work protocols, as the doctor stays in the medical isolation hospital for 15 days, and sometimes works 24 consecutive hours, which led to the fall of a large number of doctors as a result of exhaustion, and the most prominent case was the doctor of Baltim Hospital in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, who was blindfolded. And other doctors who had a heart attack, and God passed away.
The former health official stressed that the Egyptian government tried to put pressure on the medical team to confront the crisis of the shortage of medical personnel and the progress of a large number of them to resign, by transferring the matter to the security authorities and the doctor who wanted to resign became the National Security Agency (formerly State Security), and a number of Doctors, which led to the emigration of doctors outside Egypt, without resigning, which caused a shortage of medical cadres inside hospitals, and the destination of most doctors was to Canada, America and European countries, seeking knowledge, and a valid work environment.
Unrealistic solutions
"In 2018, the Minister of Health announced, based on the directives of the political leadership - as she would like to say - to prevent renewal of permits for doctors abroad, and wasted hundreds of thousands of hard currency that doctors pay annually in order to renew their licenses, in the expectation that by doing so, she would force the doctor," Gawish added. To return to Egypt. "
The former official at the Ministry of Health denounced the official trend of graduating exceptional batches of doctors, considering that it is a military term used in wars and with armies and is not suitable for a doctor who is supposed to spend 7 years studying and learning.
"Al-Sisi announced the transfer of pharmacists to doctors, and this indicates that the military official is not aware of the difference between pharmacists and doctors in the nature of work," Gawish added. "This was denounced by the Doctors Syndicate that grants licenses to practice the profession for doctors."
At the end of his speech, Gawish emphasized that the crisis in Egypt is not in the number of doctors, which is estimated at 230,000 doctors registered with the Doctors Syndicate, which means a doctor for every 300 citizens, which is a good percentage by international standards, but the real crisis is that 60% of them immigrated outside Egypt, and thus The Egyptian state has a responsibility to provide a healthy environment that prevents doctors from emigrating and staying in their country.
For his part, the Secretary-General of the Doctors Syndicate, Osama Abdel-Hay, believes that the emigration of doctors is a "bomb" that threatens the health system in Egypt, adding in press statements last October that the causes must be found and solutions presented, not including the increase in the number of medical schools. .
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate warned last May of a complete "collapse" of the health system, and accused the Ministry of Health of failing to protect health care workers from the Corona virus.
The union said in a statement that "the health system may completely collapse and a health catastrophe may occur that afflicts the entire nation if this inaction and negligence continues on the part of the Ministry of Health towards the medical staff."
It is worth noting that the Egyptian Ministry of Health announced yesterday, Friday, the registration of 1001 new cases of Coronavirus and 56 deaths.
"The total number that was registered in Egypt with the new Corona virus, as of Friday, is 147,810 cases of infection, including 8,085 deaths," she said in a statement posted on her official Facebook page.