Cairo -

Between sympathy and controversy, social networking sites in Egypt witnessed a wide interaction with the name of the actor Samir Sabry, after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ordered his treatment at the expense of the state, which prompted tweeters and activists to talk about the need for the poor to reciprocate, especially since Sabri - similar to Other celebrities - may not need government aid.

The state of sympathy and solidarity with Sabri was not only because he was a famous actor, nor because he was one of the most famous presenters on Egyptian television. What doubled the volume of sympathy with him is that he is among the very few Egyptian artists who do not let an artist go through a crisis unless they stand by him, according to What was mentioned by the announcer Amr Adib.

And last week, the words of Samir Sabry - in his intervention with broadcaster Amr Adib - aroused a state of sympathy after Sabri asked Adeeb to stand by him and be "under the auspices of Amr Adib", to which Adeeb responded, stressing that Sabri will be under the auspices of the whole state.

It seems that the decision to officially sponsor Sabri was not long in coming, as Ashraf Zaki, the head of the Egyptian Acting Professions Syndicate, announced that the president had directed Sabri's treatment at the state's expense, adding that he thanked the president on his behalf and on behalf of the masses of Egyptian artists.

Controversy after sympathy

But the intense sympathy for Sabry was accompanied by another parallel case of controversy over Sisi’s decision to treat Samir Sabry and other celebrities at the state’s expense, especially the wealthy and millionaires.

Tweeters denounced the government's incurring the costs of treating a large number of celebrities, especially those who are known to be wealthy, while individual people and the destitute may go through a long journey to obtain a treatment decision at the state's expense, and some of them may breathe their last before they get the decision.

The pioneers of social networking sites argued between a strong supporter of Samir Sabry’s treatment at the state’s expense, especially by actors and celebrities on the communication sites, because he was someone who was extending a helping hand to many, and strongly objected to Sisi’s decision as carrying a kind of discrimination between groups of society, according to the description of tweets, or Because it is a misplaced spending of public money, they demand at least reciprocity for the poor and the speedy issuance of decisions to treat them at the expense of the state.

This wonderful comprehensive artist is never too late for anyone in need, and his long life is very supportive of all his colleagues in the time of need and the time of illness


. Prayers for #Samir_Sabri for a full and speedy recovery, Lord 🙏 pic.twitter.com/QiDeVRMWpD

— salah abdallah Salah Abdullah (@SalahAbdallah) February 25, 2022

I mean, Samir Sabry, who has nothing to do in it, whether films or a show band, and he presented programs on television and we listened to the song (Sugar is sweet, sweet world is sugar) and in the end he does not have money and is treated at the expense of the state!?

— Against tyranny and tyrants (@smg2907) February 26, 2022

#Ard_alwa,


treating artists at the expense of the state!


Most of the artists, athletes and other celebrities seek treatment at the state's expense at a time when health services for the poor are declining!


The artists take over the budget for the treatment service abroad despite their superior financial ability, and the list of those who were treated at the expense of


4/1 pic.twitter.com/ojlfix5GnB

— Aserasorat (@Aserasorat12) February 27, 2022

What do I write about Samir Sabri and to Samir Sabry?!!!.. No, and no pages or programs will be enough to talk about what is in my life and my heart to Samir Sabri.. to speak or speak for everyone who has passed through his life Samir Sabri or who has gone through a life and age #Samir_Sabri will not We can!!.. and it is not possible to explain and describe what is in our hearts, our life and our lives of giving, love, art and attitudes..

— Sherihan (@Sherihan) February 26, 2022

I was pleased with the news that the state will bear the treatment of the beautiful Samir Sabry, and he is very deserving


of the matter. It opened for me to ask the guardian of the Syndicate of Actors. It cannot bear the treatment of an artist, the happiest of people


. health

— Abdel Hamid Ahmed Hamdy (@ahamdyos) February 26, 2022

Journalists criticize the decision

The controversy that accompanied Sisi’s decision to treat Samir Sabry at the state’s expense moved to the journalistic community, where a number of journalists criticized the decision despite their sympathy with Samir Sabry as a human being and an artist. , especially that the old constitution urged the state to "take care of those who are aware of it and the scholars", but the duty of treatment at the state's expense should be in accordance with the ability to pay for the treatment.

The cloth gave an example with the story of a poor woman who pleaded with him to help her address a hospital to bear the value of the x-rays and tests required of her, as they are not included in treatment decisions at the state’s expense, and that when he mediated with the Minister of Health’s office, the hospital responded with a reduction of only 10 pounds (the dollar = 15.7 Egyptian pounds). .

The decision was also criticized by the journalist writer Muhammad Saad Khattab, who said in several posts on his Twitter account, that there is no objection to treating the rich at the expense of the state if the saying “Aziz is a humiliated people” applies to him, but he indicated that Sabri “a millionaire inherited from his father.” He is a former police officer, 18 apartments in the most prestigious places in Cairo and Giza.

Without providing evidence, Khattab spoke about what he described as "emotionally blackmailing the president" through a ploy carried out by two of Sabri's companions to collect money in his name and evade the huge bill for his treatment, and also talked about the hospital waiving the treatment bill for fear of exposing its exaggerated prices, adding, That all of this was done by media outlets that were chasing after the "trend" and meeting the interests of its network of friends.

Muhammad Saad Khattab writes:


Donate to the millionaire Samir Sabry!!


Adeeb implicates Sisi in the drama of treating Samir at the state’s expense


. Surprise.. Al-Safa Hospital gives up 1.6 million pounds for fear of scandal.


Ashraf Zaki bears the responsibility to protect Sabry from his escorts


.

— mohamed Saad Khattab (@mohamedSaadKh16) February 26, 2022

Unconstitutional discrimination

Article 9 of the Egyptian Constitution states the following: “The state is committed to achieving equal opportunities for all citizens, without discrimination.” Despite the existence of treatment decisions at the state’s expense for those who are unable and who do not have health insurance, a large number of social media activists confirmed that The state distinguishes between its citizens in treatment.

And an account in the name of Ahmed Hussein published an appeal to Sisi, after the decision to treat Samir Sabry at the expense of the state, and asked him to intervene to treat his two nieces, who suffer from "spinal muscular atrophy" and need quick intervention in order to save their lives.

And he added - in his distress message to the president - that "the family of the two girls resorted to all the competent authorities, and tried to submit a petition to the president by having a family member attend the last youth conference, but they were unable to reach him."

Celebrities treated by Sisi

Al-Sisi’s decision to treat Samir Sabry at the state’s expense was not the first of its kind;

He was preceded by similar decisions to treat a number of artists at the expense of the state, including the late singer Ali Hamida, actor Sherif Desouki - whose leg was amputated - and actress Fatima Koshary.

As Sisi had previously decided to treat the poet Ahmed Abdel Moati Hegazy abroad at the expense of the state.

On the other hand, the Egyptian government says that it has expanded the health care network for all Egyptians, both by eliminating waiting lists for surgical operations, and achieving an unprecedented success rate in eliminating the hepatitis C virus (C), as it continues to issue decisions to treat citizens At the expense of the state, according to the cases due.

And at the end of last year, Al-Ahram newspaper (governmental) published figures issued by the Ministry of Health revealing that 2,914,106 treatment decisions were issued at the state’s expense during the year 2021, with a total cost of 10 billion and 4 million pounds.

Treatment decisions at the state’s expense included hematology, oncology, nose and ear, surgery, women, ophthalmology, orthopedics, urology, and internal medicine, in addition to dermatology and neurology.