Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly conducted an extensive field tour of healthcare facilities affiliated with Egypt’s Healthcare Authority in Luxor, to monitor the implementation of the Universal Health Insurance System and evaluate progress in healthcare services across Upper Egypt. The tour included visits to Karnak International Hospital and Luxor International Medical Complex, two flagship institutions operating under the comprehensive health insurance framework. It underscored the government’s commitment to expanding equitable access to high-quality healthcare in Upper Egypt, which has historically faced service gaps.
During his tour, Luxor Governor Abdel Motaleb Emara noted that Luxor was the first governorate in Upper Egypt to implement the Universal Health Insurance System, and the second nationwide after Port Said. State investments in Luxor's healthcare infrastructure have reached EGP 13.5 billion, supporting the development of six hospitals, 59 primary healthcare units, and one medical center. These investments have eliminated treatment waiting lists, improved service quality, and provided advanced medical care locally, reducing the need for patients to travel outside the governorate.
Ahmed El-Sobky, Chairperson of the Egypt Healthcare Authority, stated that 2025 saw the largest package of medical expansions ever in EHA facilities in Luxor, as part of a plan to modernize infrastructure, introduce advanced specialties, and meet international quality standards. This has led to a qualitative transformation, with several specialized services introduced for the first time, including deep brain stimulation surgeries (costing up to EGP 1.6 million per case), endoscopic ultrasound for gallbladder and pancreatic tumors, cochlear implants, complex pediatric bronchoscopy, free-flap skin grafts for severe injuries, and advanced vascular interventions like EVAR and TEVAR.
More than 1.2 million beneficiaries receive healthcare services in Luxor under the UHIS. The governorate's healthcare capacity includes 896 inpatient beds, 242 ICU beds, 111 neonatal incubators, 241 dialysis machines, 41 operating rooms, and 10 MRI and CT scan units. Plans for 2026 include bringing New Qurna Hospital, the third and fourth phases of Luxor International Medical Complex, and several new medical centers and family medicine units into service.
At Karnak International Hospital, Madbouly inspected multiple departments to assess medical supplies and patient care efficiency. El-Sobky described it as a cornerstone of medical tourism in Upper Egypt, with 149 inpatient beds, 39 ICU beds, 44 dialysis machines, 10 neonatal incubators, and seven operating rooms. In 2025, ICU capacity expanded from 21 to 39 beds, and a new oncology unit with 12 chemotherapy chairs was opened, introducing intermediate care and advanced brain tumor surgeries.
An elderly cancer patient praised the services, saying, “excellent—ten out of ten.” El-Sobky highlighted a case where a six-year-old girl underwent surgery costing EGP 3.6 million, with her family paying only EGP 428, the state covering the rest.
At Luxor International Medical Complex, El-Sobky called it the “icon of healthcare in Luxor” and a primary referral center for complex cases in Upper Egypt. It offers advanced services like burn care, open-heart surgery, bone marrow transplantation, gastrointestinal oncology endoscopy, and complex orthopedic procedures. The complex has 373 inpatient beds, 57 ICU beds, 26 incubators, 13 operating rooms, 22 dialysis beds, and advanced imaging units. Since inauguration, it has delivered about 1.67 million medical services and nearly 33,000 surgeries.
Residents told the Prime Minister that patients previously had to travel to Assiut or elsewhere and wait weeks for surgery—a burden now eliminated. Concluding the tour, Madbouly praised the quality of services under the UHIS in Luxor, reaffirming the government’s commitment to integrated, high-quality medical care for Upper Egypt citizens in their home governorates, aligned with international standards.