Egyptian MP Maha Abdel Nasser has filed a parliamentary question pressing the government to set out how emergency care will be guaranteed under the national insurance system, after reports that hospitals were demanding payment before treatment.
Her request followed a Health Ministry statement on Tuesday that said all citizens are entitled to free emergency care without conditions or financial barriers.
Abdel Nasser cited Article 18 of the constitution, which guarantees the right to health and obliges the state to maintain and develop health service facilities. She said it is a crime to deny treatment to citizens, particularly in emergencies.
“This isn’t charity,” she said. “It is a constitutional right that must not be subject to negotiation or delay.”
MP Abdel Nasser also referred to Cabinet Decree 1063 of 2014, which requires hospitals to provide free emergency care for the first 48 hours, with the state covering costs through the national insurance system or the “state expense” fund.
Successive health ministers have confirmed this, warning that “any hospital that refuses to admit an emergency case or demands money will face immediate closure and referral to prosecution,” she explained.
Despite these guarantees, Abdel Nasser, of the Social Democratic Party, said practice on the ground is different. “Private hospitals, which make up a significant part of the healthcare system, often claim there is no clear reimbursement mechanism. They refuse patients unless they pay upfront or sign promissory checks. The result is fatal delays—every minute can cost a life.”
She called for data on complaints since 2014 about hospitals refusing emergency treatment, and disclosure of how many facilities have been closed or referred for investigation. “Why aren’t these figures made public?” she asked.
Abdel Nasser pointed to the recent death of TV presenter Abeer El-Abasiry as a stark example of systemic failure. El-Abasiry’s death had sparked outrage online after a Facebook post from her friend Suzanne Abbas. She alleged Al-Haram Hospital refused to admit before paying a 1,400 Egyptian pounds fee, saying she was not covered by state insurance. El-Abasiry waited nearly six hours before dying of a stroke, she added. Abbas called it emblematic of hospitals’ ‘bill-first logic.’
Dr. Mansour Khalil, director of Al-Haram Hospital, denied negligence. He told Al Manassa the patient arrived with acute oxygen deficiency and reduced consciousness, and was immediately placed on a ventilator.
The Health Ministry later echoed his account, saying emergency services were provided free of charge. It said the 1,400 pounds was the cost of radiology films that the patient’s companion requested to take away—a printing fee, not a medical charge. The ministry stressed that no payment was demanded for treatment.
MP Amr Darwish, secretary of the Local Administration Committee, also took this issue to Facebook. He stated El-Abasiry’s death highlights social values that must be reconsidered. He asked whether Egypt truly upholds the right to emergency care, if Decree 1063 is enforced, or if systemic neglect persists with officials simply following orders.
