Give 2000 Egyptian Families Affordable Health Care

On Saturday, as we celebrate Universal Children’s Day, we’re here to tell you how your continuous support made it possible to provide healthcare to Mazen, the baby boy our project just helped.

“When I heard the words “Mazen needs to perform nuclear scanning”, I was in a state of shock: This is a procedure that I can’t possibly afford! What will I do? I contacted Shamseya and their project El Naseh. It was the first time for me to know that a one year old boy can be covered by governmental health insurance. They guided me through the paperwork till he performed the procedure. I am very happy that I managed to fulfil my son’s right of receiving proper healthcare, and I am very grateful to El Naseh. They illuminated my life in the moment I was really in the dark, with no hope.”

Many Egyptians are unaware of their entitlements in healthcare. This is especially true for low income families working in the informal sector. As most insurance schemes are directly related to having a formal employment, most families do not know that their children are insured by the government, even before entering schools.

Mona was one of those single parents with limited income, who was putting her family in dire financial restraints in order to treat her baby. Mazen has just passed his first birthday, but he suffers from congenital kidney problems. His mother, in addition to supporting her family, had to pay exorbitant costs to attend to her son’s medical needs. 

After collecting the needed data and analysis of the case, our team informed Mona that her boy is entitled to a state sponsored healthcare coverage from the social health insurance scheme. We took care of her paperwork and succeeded in enrolling her son to benefit from services provided to preschoolers by the Health Insurance Organization.

Immediately after his registration, Mazen underwent a specialized medical examination, carried out a full renal nuclear scan and was guided into the evidence-based treatment plan suitable to his condition.

We are still following-up with Mazen and his mother, to make sure they get all the medical services he needs. He is most likely to undergo a much needed surgery and our role is to make sure this is done in the best possible way, without having to borrow, or to spend all of their limited income to receive the healthcare they need. 

Through your support and the reletently work of our team, we are helping Mazen and hundreds of families in accessing the healthcare services they need while saving their limited income. Making information accessible to them is a necessity that paves the way to empowered families, capable of accessing the services they need in an affordable way that doesn’t affect their livelihood.

(Names have been intentionally changed to maintain the privacy of our patients. Photos used are generic, taken with the consent of its subjects)