Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inaugurates a new family medicine centre in Sendbast as part of Egypt’s rural development programme, expanding healthcare access for over 47,000 residents and strengthening the nation’s push towards universal health coverage.
At the start of his visit to Gharbia province, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly inspected a family medicine centre in the village of Sendbast, in Zefta district, as part of the government’s flagship Hayat Karima rural development programme. Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar and Gharbia Governor Ala’a Abd el-Maaboud were with him as the delegation reviewed the facility and its role in expanding medical services in villages. According to the official account, the visit was intended to show how the programme is being used to bring care closer to residents in areas that have long depended on distant hospitals.
Madbouly said health projects under Hayat Karima are central to improving living standards in rural Egypt and to strengthening the state’s effort to provide modern, comprehensive care close to where people live. Abdel Ghaffar described the Sendbast centre as a model for modern primary healthcare facilities, saying the ministry is working to improve the operating efficiency of such units so they can support wider health coverage and prepare for the roll-out of universal health insurance.
The Sendbast centre sits on 2,050 square metres and rises over three floors. It includes specialist clinics, a family medicine clinic, a family development clinic, a dental clinic, first-aid services, a full pharmacy, a laboratory, maternal and child health services, an X-ray unit, a state-funded treatment clinic and administrative offices. Officials said it is designed to serve more than 47,000 people. During the inspection, Madbouly toured several departments, spoke to doctors about working hours and shift arrangements and visited the family planning clinic, where staff said attendance can reach 900 people a month and services are provided free of charge.
The health ministry said the centre also delivers services linked to national public health initiatives, including screening and treatment for chronic disease, early detection of kidney disease, hearing checks for newborns, support for women’s health, maternal and foetal care, screening for inherited diseases, care for older people and cancer detection. Officials said the new facility should ease the burden on residents who previously had to travel about 5 kilometres to the general hospital in Zefta. Medical staff also said the centre’s insulin stock covers around three months, while Abdel Ghaffar said insulin is widely available and urged the public to rely on locally made alternatives where appropriate.
More broadly, the government is presenting the Sendbast project as part of a wider expansion of rural health infrastructure under Hayat Karima. In Assiut, authorities have said 137 health units are being built or upgraded at a cost of 1.248 billion Egyptian pounds, while residents in Sharqia have credited the programme with 32 new health units and the renovation of 29 others, alongside free medical convoys. In Monufia, Sadat City University has also joined similar efforts with a free medical convoy in Sonsift, underlining how the initiative has become a central vehicle for extending healthcare and social services across the countryside.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
