I personally have been pleased with the health care providers here, but one should be a bit choosy. Two of my friends can also vouch for the health care, as both their lives were saved with hospital emergency room interventions. One from heart attack and second from internal hemorrhaging.
In early days there was a standard joke - "if you needed 2 opinions you could go to same doctor on two different occasions and get the two opinions". The underlying moral was doctors didn't keep patient records. This has changed now, at least at doctors / clinic we chose to attend.
Here in Egypt, Doctors normally have a day job and run their private practice in evenings usually starting in evening around 7 pm. However there are now some clinics that you can attend to in afternoon starting around 12 to 3 pm. Then again the doctors will be available from about 6 pm onwards. The clinic we use is Ghaly Medical Group and clinic opens at 9 am. (see details at bottom of this post). Dr Ghaly is the main resident doctor and a wide range of specialists attend in evening times. This brings up one difference between what I was used to in Canada an here. To see a specialist you needed to be referred by a GP. No so here you can go directly if you know one. Clinic is located in New Maadi per details at bottom of this post. Clinic charges change, but at time of writing a visit cost 200 LE, and what some people do not know, is if doctor says he wants to see you again to monitor improvement, then second visit should not incur additional fee.
Who you use as primary health care provider is a personal choice, and no doubt strongly influenced by your companies recommendations, and friends. And, as there are other clinics, and favorite medical practitioners, and I encourage anyone having good experience to put the information available in comments. I will then include such comments in main body of this post.
I must admit I feel the doctors over medicate and it seems not unusual to get a prescription for a bag full of different drugs. And this brings up another point. You do not need a doctors prescription to buy drugs at a pharmacy, so if you want to self medicate go for it. And, honestly, for simple health issues, the pharmacist will know what is working and recommend. Also if you require injections (E.g. Vitamin B) the pharmacist will perform this for you. All decent pharmacies will deliver and there is one I use that is open 24 hours and delivers, located across from north entrance to Grand Mall. Europe Pharmacy is the name and phone is 519 5688. The pharmacy use the most is ALAA at N0. 20 87 street, Sakanet, Maadi ph 23782710 because I know the pharmacists personally with good advice for many years and they are close and also deliver.
We have only had to have medical treatment in hospital once and that was for appendicitis for my oldest daughter (she was 12 at time). Ghaly's Medical group surgeon arranged for all. We just went to Al Salam hospital in morning and went directly to assigned room. No check in paper work or anything. All went very well and we paid hospital etc. by 2 pm and left for home. The whole cost was about 3000 LE but that was a few years back.
This brings up the subject of medical insurance. Larger companies provide such insurance to their employees, but those working here on contracts through local agents, would not normally have insurance provided. As is case with us. I did carry insurance for awhile through BUPA (think this is best known insurance provider here) but the cost I found exorbitant in relationship to what the health care costs are here. For what insurance people wanted, I could have heart surgery once per year and have change left over.
With respect to specialist MRI, X-ray's etc, you can visit Nile Scan conveniently located in Maadi on Rd 9 (plus other centers in Cairo - check egypt yellow pages). Mention you are a resident and also be aware, if you request at additional cost, consultant diagnostics from specialists at Harvard, John Hopkins or University Hospitals of Cleveland. Al Salam hospital is another option but parking is a nightmare.
Another snippet has to do with laser eye treatments. I know of several Egyptians had this done and also several expatriates who were commuting working 28/28. Price they said was less than half of what it costs in their European home countries and they all were very pleased with results.
With respect to other medical services. Who you use as primary health care provider is a personal choice, and no doubt strongly influenced by your companies recommendations, and friends. And, as there are other clinics, and favorite medical practitioners, and I encourage anyone having good experience to put the information available in comments.
I must admit I feel the doctors over medicate and it seems not unusual to get a prescription for a bag full of different drugs. And this brings up another point. You do not need a doctors prescription to buy drugs at a pharmacy, so if you want to self medicate go for it. And, honestly, for simple health issues, the pharmacist will know what is working and recommend. Also if you require injections (E.g. Vitamin B) the pharmacist will perform this for you. All decent pharmacies will deliver and there is one I use that is open 24 hours and delivers, located across from north entrance to Grand Mall. Europe Pharmacy is the name and phone is 519 5688. The pharmacy use the most is ALAA at N0. 20 87 street, Sakanet, Maadi ph 23782710 because I know the pharmacists personally with good advice for many years and they are close and also deliver.
We have only had to have medical treatment in hospital once and that was for appendicitis for my oldest daughter (she was 12 at time). Ghaly's Medical group surgeon arranged for all. We just went to Al Salam hospital in morning and went directly to assigned room. No check in paper work or anything. All went very well and we paid hospital etc. by 2 pm and left for home. The whole cost was about 3000 LE but that was a few years back.
This brings up the subject of medical insurance. Larger companies provide such insurance to their employees, but those working here on contracts through local agents, would not normally have insurance provided. As is case with us. I did carry insurance for awhile through BUPA (think this is best known insurance provider here) but the cost I found exorbitant in relationship to what the health care costs are here. For what insurance people wanted, I could have heart surgery once per year and have change left over.
With respect to specialist MRI, X-ray's etc, you can visit Nile Scan conveniently located in Maadi on Rd 9 (plus other centers in Cairo - check Egypt yellow pages). Mention you are a resident and also be aware, if you request at additional cost, consultant diagnostics from specialists at Harvard, John Hopkins or University Hospitals of Cleveland. Al Salam hospital is another choice but be aware parking is a nightare.
Another snippet has to do with laser eye treatments. I know of several Egyptians had this done and also several expatriates who were commuting working 28/28. Price they said was less than half of what it costs in their European home countries and they all were very pleased with results.
With respect to other medical services. There is no shortage of dentists, ophthalmologists and many other specialties. Word of mouth for recommendations is good. If anyone wants to know who we use please email me.
entists, ophthalmologists and many other specialties. Word of mouth for recommendations is good. If anyone wants to know who we use please email me.
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