Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has signed a landmark cooperation protocol with the Ministry of Interior’s Medical Services Sector to enhance rapid medical response to sudden cardiac arrest, launching a pilot project that will see automated external defibrillators (AEDs) deployed in key public locations.
The agreement, announced Sunday, follows directives from the country’s political leadership to strengthen national emergency preparedness and bolster public health resilience.
According to officials, the initiative aims to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest by equipping security and emergency personnel with both the technology and training to intervene during the critical moments before patients reach hospital care.
Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, has emphasized the strategic importance of such partnerships in advancing Egypt’s emergency medical services.
The cooperation is based on a study by the Ministry of Health—approved by the Cabinet—which recommends the widespread use of AEDs to address the increasing number of sudden cardiac arrest cases across the country.
The protocol was signed by Dr. Mohamed Hassani, Assistant Minister for Public Health Projects and Initiatives, on behalf of the Health Ministry, and Major General Hossam Othman, Undersecretary for Technical Affairs and Chief Physician of the Ministry of Interior’s Medical Services Sector.
In a statement, Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, confirmed that AEDs will be installed in a range of locations under this new agreement.
These devices are designed to restore normal heart rhythms in patients experiencing ventricular fibrillation, a common cause of cardiac arrest. Their early use can be the difference between life and death, he noted.
Dr. Abdel Ghaffar added that the protocol also includes robust training programs for personnel, overseen by the Ministry of Health. Trainees will receive specialized instruction in the use of AEDs, with successful participants receiving certification demonstrating their ability to operate the equipment safely and effectively.
The pilot project is part of broader efforts by Egyptian authorities to align national health infrastructure with international standards and to improve citizen access to life-saving interventions in public spaces.
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