Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, is implementing new measures to enhance oversight of private mental health facilities. These reforms aim to meet growing demand and improve access to mental health services across the country.
A newly formed committee, convened following a meeting of the National Council for Mental Health, will spearhead the effort to establish a unified licensing system for private psychological centers. This committee comprises representatives from the Medical Syndicate, the Central Administration for Non-Governmental Therapeutic Institutions and Licensing, the National Council for Mental Health, and private sector stakeholders. Their mandate includes developing stringent controls for the automation of private facilities and implementing a centralized patient registration system.
Emphasizing the integration of artificial intelligence in healthcare, Minister Abdel Ghaffar highlighted the importance of utilizing AI for analyzing patient data, ensuring both medical efficacy and confidentiality.
Moreover, the ministry underscores the necessity of enhanced regulations for psychologists, including mandatory training in advanced scientific methodologies. The National Council for Mental Health will assume the role of accrediting body, offering specialized psychotherapy training for non-psychiatrist psychotherapists in collaboration with the Fund for Combating and Treating Addiction and Drug Abuse.
Currently, Egypt operates 223 mental health facilities with a combined capacity of 11,628 beds. This includes facilities dedicated to addiction treatment, amounting to 1,747 beds in government institutions and 4,508 beds in private facilities.
In the preceding year alone, these facilities admitted a total of 55,057 cases, with 19,528 treated in government facilities and 35,529 in private settings. Notably, 51,673 patients were successfully discharged, comprising 18,564 from government facilities and 33,109 from private ones.
These regulatory advancements signify Egypt’s commitment to fortifying its mental health infrastructure, ensuring comprehensive and standardized care for all citizens in need.
