Social Solidarity Minister Highlights Role of NGOs in Social Protection

جانب من اللقاء.

Dr. Maya Morsi, Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, attended a celebration marking the tenth anniversary of the establishment and operation of the Shifa Orman Hospitals in Luxor.

The event was also attended by Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Health and Population; Dr. Manal Awad, Minister of Local Development and Environment; Dr. Ibrahim Saber, Governor of Cairo; Engineer Amr Lashin, Governor of Aswan; Dr. Ghada Tawfiq, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank for Social Responsibility; Mohamed El-Atriby, CEO of the National Bank of Egypt; and Dr. Khaled El-Nouri, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Shifa Orman Hospital.

During her speech, Minister Morsi expressed her honor to participate in this significant event, celebrating a decade marked by hope and life in a bright part of southern Egypt. She emphasized that this celebration reflects a national experience that has transformed compassion into structured action and sustainable treatment for cancer patients.

“Today we celebrate ten years of Shifa Orman Hospitals in Luxor, one of the most significant efforts by civil society over the past decade,” said Dr. Morsi. She highlighted that this initiative has become a model for specialized healthcare services that restores hope to thousands of patients and their families.

Dr. Morsi noted that while ten years might seem brief in time, for cancer patients and their families, it can mean a lifetime. She praised the dedication of doctors, nurses, administrators, and volunteers who commit to providing humane treatment to every patient entering through their doors.

She stressed that Shifa Orman emerged from a rich tradition established by the Orman Association over three decades ago with a humanitarian mission to reach vulnerable populations. This initiative has evolved from merely providing assistance to focusing on development and investment in people.

The minister emphasized that under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s leadership, Egypt has established a new philosophy regarding its relationship with civil society based on partnership and integration to serve citizens effectively.

“Today, NGOs have become one of the most crucial arms of the state in implementing social protection policies across health, education, economic empowerment, and social care,” she added.

Dr. Morsi concluded her remarks by stating that Shifa Orman represents a message affirming that citizens in Luxor, Qena, Aswan, Sohag, New Valley, and all Upper Egyptian governorates deserve dignified services close to home.

Dr. Khaled El-Nouri also expressed pride in marking ten years since the hospital’s inception during his address at the event. He acknowledged that this achievement would not have been possible without clear vision and unwavering support from political leadership along with fruitful collaboration with various partners.

In his opening remarks at the expanded conference celebrating the hospital’s “Bronze Jubilee,” Dr. El-Nouri stated: “Our journey over this past decade was not just about building walls or providing equipment; it was about building hope and planting smiles on the faces of thousands of patients in Upper Egypt.” He noted that Shifa Orman Hospital has successfully provided comprehensive medical care free-of-charge to over 1.1 million patients while performing nearly 39,900 operations and conducting 137,000 radiotherapy sessions.