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On November 23, 2020, JICA Egypt Office handed over some Japanese medical equipment such as bronchoscopes (manufactured by Pentax) and an ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system (manufactured by Hitachi).

This equipment will strengthen the capacity of the Ain Shams University against COVID-19 and it was provided as a training infrastructure development for the Third Country Training Program (TCTP) titled "Overcome the Impact of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Africa" jointly implemented by JICA and the university. The handover ceremony was attended by H.E. Noke Masaki, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt, H.E. Dr. Awad Tag El-Din, Advisor to the President of Egypt on Health and Prevention Affairs, H.E. General Mohamed Amin Nasser, Advisor to the President on Financial Affairs, Prof. Hani Helal, former Minister of Higher Education among other government officials. Mr. Omura Yoshifumi, Chief Representative of JICA Egypt office and Prof. Mahmoud El-Meteini, President of the Ain Shams University have signed on the Handover Certificate. In the ceremony speech, Prof. El-Meteini repeatedly mentioned that he is a JICA ex-participant (attended the training in Japan in 1996 on living liver transplantation) and expressed his amicableness towards Japan. He expressed the strong expectation to strengthen the cooperation with JICA in the future.

It was mentioned by H.E. Dr. Tag El-Din, who is currently an important member of the committee for measures against COVID-19 response in Egypt, that he has learned the technique of fiberoptic endoscopy at Tokyo Medical University as he described Japan to be the best country in the world in this field. In addition, H.E. expressed his appreciation, based on the fact during his tenure as Minister of Health, that 220 ambulance cars that were provided in 2004 by the Grant Aid of Japan which significantly contributed for improving emergency medical care in Egypt.

Mr. Omura presented about not only the health sector, but also many historical cooperation relationships between JICA and the university, and paid tribute to tremendous efforts made by the university and its hospitals to deal with the challenges due to COVID-19.

The provided pieces of equipment were installed in a Pulmonary ICU that had just been renovated at the University Hospital, which is responsible for tertiary medical care services in the Greater Cairo Area with a population of over 22 million. This equipment will enable the diagnosis and patient management of serious respiratory diseases including COVID-19 and complicated cases with poor prognosis. In addition, for the TCTP for Africa, this equipment will be used for the training on improving diagnostic techniques for parasitic diseases that infect the lungs (such as "hydatid disease (echinococcosis)").

JICA will continue to support measures against COVID-19 through cooperation with various entities that are making the utmost efforts in the fight against the pandemic as well as for the realization of resilient universal health coverage in Egypt.

Photos from the Handover Ceremony

Speech by Mr. Omura, CR of JICA Egypt office (first from the left), presenting the cooperation history such as Third Country Training Program, etc.

Signing on the Handover Certificate by Dr. El-Metiny, President of the Ain Shams University and Mr. Omura Yoshifumi, CR of JICA Egypt office

Handed over bronchoscopes (Pentax) and ultrasound devise (Hitachi) from JICA at Pulmonary ICU at the Ain Shams University Hospital

Pulmonary ICU with JICA logo at the Ain Shams University Hospital which has been recently renovated