Message from doctors detained in Egypt prisons offering help in facing COVID-19

A number of detained Egyptian doctors sent a leaked message to the chairman of Medical Professions Syndicates Union, the Doctors Syndicate, and the heads of branch syndicate offices across Egypt calling for temporarily releasing them to contribute to facing the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt.

The detained doctors added that everyone knows very well their past stances in the face of crises in Egypt and outside Egypt, “… and that we have not failed to face any emergency crisis, through the Doctors Syndicate and the branch syndicates and our humanitarian committees; and you also know well the size of the shortage of qualified medical teams and healthcare workers to face the coronavirus pandemic.” the message added.

The detained doctors said in their message addressed to the chairman of Medical Professions Syndicates Union, Doctors Syndicate, heads and branch syndicate offices across Egypt that “they know very well the size of the catastrophe that is afflicting the whole world, and Egypt in particular, namely the outbreak of COVID-19, and the extent of these dangers that require unity against this deadly pandemic,” the message read.

The detained doctors in Egypt’s prisons said addressing their syndicate board that they “submit this appeal to you in order to address concerned authorities for temporarily releasing us to cooperate with our fellow doctors in their work, and we pledge not to demand wages in any way in return for our work,” they said adding, “We also pledge not to go home, but to stay ​​in hospitals or any other workplaces or in the headquarters of branch syndicates. We also pledge to return to prison again after this catastrophe passes. We are also ready to provide adequate guarantees for implementing this, for the sake of our dear Egypt and its great people.”

Finally, they signed the message as;

Doctors in Egypt’s prisons

Meanwhile, Tens of Medics at Egypt’s hospitals test positive for COVID-19 

At least 17 medics in Egypt’s main cancer hospital have been quarantined after testing positive for the coronavirus, officials said Saturday, raising fears the pandemic could prey on health facilities in the Arab world’s most populous country.

Several doctors took to social media to criticize the institute’s leadership for not taking restrictive measures earlier.

Egypt has reported around 1,000 confirmed cases and 66 fatalities from the global pandemic. Authorities have closed schools and mosques, banned public gatherings and imposed a nighttime curfew to prevent the virus from spreading among the population of 100 million, a fifth of whom live in the densely-populated capital, Cairo.