admin
Registered: 18 Feb 2006
Posts: 7
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Your Support is needed in Egypt
Keeping you updated as much as possible on the news of the right to health campaign in Egypt, here is some very important news and I hope to get some feedback, because we need the support of PHM Globally.
The government of Egypt intends to pass the law during the coming session of parliament sometimes around next November. If this law is passed it will constitute a drastic set back to people's right to equal access of health care services, as well as eventually sell out the huge public infrastructure of health services which was paid by the sweat of the Egyptian people for peanuts to the new international and national private investors in health services including private providers and private insurance companies which are waiting to inherit this infrastructure.
On Tuesday the 2nd of October, The first National conference in Egypt was held. More than 40 political parties, workers, journalists and lawyer's trade unions, and other civil society organizations got together and produced a declaration which states its firm opposition to the infamous law which is paving the way for the privatization of the health care services in Egypt. The coalition against the law and for the right to health includes nearly all the opposition political parties in Egypt and has near unanimous support of civil society organizations, yet, the government of Egypt insists and is firm in its passing the law despite the growing and wide opposition.
Among the essential points that we oppose the new law are the following:
1. Its stipulation that in addition to the premium, people will have to contribute 1/3 of the costs of any medical or surgical intervention or drugs. This in many cases is out of reach of the vast majority of people, particularly in 2ndry and tertiary interventions or in medications for chronic diseases and of course is completely out of reach of the poor.
2. The idea of providing different health insurance packages according to different premium paid is in total contradiction to the equity in right to appropriate services according to the needs not to the means.
3. Providing the health services on through a for profit run institutions, which will eventually mean the selling out or "servicing out" of the huge public infrastructure of health services to the private sector. The first step in this direction was taken through the prime minister unconstitutional.
Finally, we strongly declare our demands that
The government does not place the law in the next parliamentary session particularly that this law has been formulated nearly in total darkness and with total lack of transparency. For the past two years only the USAID and the WB with some of the top circles in the Egyptian government have been entitled to the law. It was released to some political parties and unions only about three month ago.
To discard the unconstitutional primeminister's decree of establishing a holding company which has the right to sell out the facilities of the Public Health Insurance Organization.
To open a national dialogue with all political parities, trade unions and syndicates, civil society organizations during the coming year to develop an alternative reform which is committed to equity of people and their right to health and not to the maximization of profit of the private investors in ill health.
Dear colleagues,
The World Bank, the USAID, as well as the European Union, are currently the major supporters of this law. We call upon you to send letters and a petition with the signitaures of your organizations to support us in our above demands.
The current law goes against all the human rights conventions which Egypt is signatory to as well as to the constitution of Egypt which affirms peoples equal right of access health services.
We need your support, please provide me with feedback on best way of the participation of the PHM Globally to put pressure on the World Bank and EU and USAID.
I suggest we formulate a petition which can be placed on the website and signed by all civil society organizations, unions and other political parities around the world as well as prominent public figures and be send to the Egyptian governemtn, WB, EU and USAID. It will make a big difference.
Yours Alaa Shukrallah
Chair of AHED
Member of the Global Secretariat PHM
Last edited by admin (02 Nov 2007 - 09:08) Reason:
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