Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population has proposed a national digital healthcare platform that would connect health facilities and integrate patients’ medical histories and health records, while incorporating artificial intelligence and telemedicine services.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar discussed the proposed digital transformation project across the country’s healthcare system with representatives of Misr Technology Services (MTS) and the Inspur Group, a Chinese multinational information technology company, after reviewing China’s experience in digital healthcare and how elements of its system could be applied in Egypt.

The “Egypt Smart Healthcare Platform” aims to connect different parts of the healthcare system through a unified digital network, allowing the integration and sharing of patient information and medical histories among facilities rather than having them remain siloed within individual hospitals and systems.

Health Ministry spokesperson Hossam Abdel Ghaffar said the platform is designed to improve operational efficiency and the quality of healthcare services while reducing costs through greater integration of health facilities and data.

The system would include unified patient health records, telemedicine services, and a command-and-control center, while leveraging AI to keep patients at the center of the system.

Officials also reviewed the implementation stages and proposed financing models and discussed launching a pilot for the first phase of the project.

The implementation phases and proposed financing models were reviewed during the meeting, as well as discussion about launching a pilot of the project’s first phase. However, the ministry did not disclose the expected cost of the platform, a timetable for its rollout, or details of the proposed financing arrangements.