Egypt: Egypt has activated a nationwide health emergency plan involving around 150 hospitals, up to 300 fully equipped ambulances, and more than 30,000 medical workers as the Coordinating Committee for the Reception of Wounded and Injured Arrivals from Gaza convened to oversee preparations, the Ministry of Health said on Monday, February 2, 2026.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the committee meeting was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar, as Egypt raised readiness levels across its healthcare system in parallel with the reopening of the Rafah crossing to receive patients and allow recovered patients to return.
The meeting marked the activation of the national emergency health services plan, now in its third version. The plan is designed to ensure full readiness and can be expanded depending on developments on the ground, Health Ministry Spokesman Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar said.
The plan includes about 150 hospitals nationwide, with the option to add more if needed, and the deployment of between 250 and 300 fully equipped ambulances to handle patient transfers and emergencies.
It also mobilizes around 12,000 doctors in key medical specialities and more than 18,000 nurses. In addition, 30 rapid-response teams from the Central Administration for Emergency and Critical Care can be dispatched within hours as needs change.
A central control room operating around the clock has been activated at the health ministry’s headquarters. It is linked to 27 emergency rooms in health directorates and more than 90 emergency hospitals and medical points to ensure quick coordination, accurate information sharing, and timely decisions, he added.
The ministry said the emergency system follows World Health Organization standards and international humanitarian guidelines, including Sphere standards. These cover hospital capacity, intensive care beds, staffing levels, and medical supplies.
In some areas, the system exceeds international minimum standards, reflecting Egypt’s ability to respond to large-scale humanitarian emergencies, the ministry added.
The committee also reviewed coordination mechanisms between the Egyptian Ambulance Authority and the Egyptian Red Crescent (ERC), Egypt’s national humanitarian partner, particularly in organizing the reception of patients and their companions via the Rafah crossing, arranging transport, providing relief assistance, and securing safe accommodation.
The ministry noted that a strategic stockpile of medicines and medical supplies has been secured in coordination with the National Blood Bank, sufficient to support up to 1,000 blood transfusions per day in emergencies.
Abdel-Ghaffar directed hospitals closest to the Rafah crossing to raise alert levels and ensure appropriate transport arrangements for patients and their companions, stressing the need for all relevant bodies to operate as a single, integrated system.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Youth and Sports Dr Ashraf Sobhy and Minister of Social Solidarity Dr Maya Morsy, along with representatives of the relevant ministries and authorities, as well as the ERC. It was held at the Ministry of Health and Population’s headquarters in the New Capital.
The health ministry said the committee’s work reflects Egypt’s prioritization of human health and underscores the country’s coordinated humanitarian response at both regional and international levels.
The first group of 50 Palestinians who had completed medical treatment in Egypt returned to the Gaza Strip early on Monday, as the Rafah crossing resumed its operations from the Palestinian side.
Another group of 50 wounded Palestinians crossed into Egypt with live coverage showing heightened coordination accompanying the crossings, as ambulances were deployed to the Palestinian Red Crescent Hospital in Khan Younis to prepare for the transfer of wounded and sick patients from Gaza.