Two MPs and the coordinator of a civil society campaign have called on Egypt’s Ministry of Health to reverse its recent decision to raise fees for addiction treatment and mental health services, warning that the move endangers vulnerable patients and undermines the state’s constitutional obligations.
In a statement reviewed by Al Manassa, MP Freddy Elbayadi, of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, said the Health Ministry’s decree No. 220 of 2025 marks “a dangerous extension of the state’s retreat from its constitutional duties toward the most marginalized groups in society.”
According to him, the new regulations raise the cost of patient accommodation in public psychiatric hospitals from 150 to 550 ($3.09-$11.35) Egyptian pounds per day—a rate that excludes any medical services.
Elbayadi described the increase as raising “grave constitutional and humanitarian questions,” particularly as the previous system allocated 60% of hospital beds to free treatment.
That share had already been reduced to 25%, he said, before the ministry effectively abolished the subsidy entirely without any official announcement.
“Mental health is not a luxury. It is a social and constitutional responsibility,” Elbayadi said, warning that the policy is another step in “a wider pattern of shifting the cost of public service failures onto citizens, even at their most vulnerable.”
This political pushback from Elbayadi and others is a direct response to the Ministry of Health’s new financial regulations for the Service Improvement Fund at public psychiatric hospitals and addiction treatment centers, which raised the cost of some services by as much as 330%.
MP Maha Abdel Nasser, also of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, described the move as “irresponsible,” warning that it would worsen the suffering of patients and families already struggling with a high cost of living.
“The government continues to impose new burdens on citizens,” Abdel Nasser said in a statement reviewed by Al Manassa. “It completely ignores the fact that mental health and addiction patients are among those most in need of support, not more financial pressure that could endanger their lives and those of their families.”
Under the new decree, the daily cost of treatment now ranges from 150 to 550 pounds ($3.-$11.5), translating to a monthly cost of 4,500 to 16,500 pounds ($93-$340), excluding diagnostic fees, which can reach up to 200 pounds (about $4) per visit.
Abdel Nasser warned the changes would deter patients from seeking treatment and fuel higher rates of addiction and suicide.
Meanwhile, Ahmed Hussein, coordinator of the campaign group Masiruna Wahid (Our Fate Is One) and a doctor at Al-Abbasiya Mental Health Hospital, told Al Manassa the root issue is not the price of outpatient tickets—which rose from one pound ($0.02-$0.21)—but the steep rise in pharmaceutical costs, which make treatment unaffordable.
“Mental illness and addiction are unlike other diseases. They have long-term social and economic costs if left untreated,” Hussein said. Citing EU studies, he noted that “the cost of not treating mental illness is 2.5 times higher than the cost of treatment,” as families often must abandon jobs to care for loved ones or deal with the social fallout.
Hussein added that addiction patients in particular require constant monitoring, while others with chronic psychiatric conditions often need medication for life.
He also warned that as prices increase in the public sector, private hospitals are likely to follow suit, pushing care even further out of reach for most Egyptians.
“Even transportation costs are a burden for patients, and now the free treatment they relied on is no longer accessible,” he said.
According to decree No. 220, obtained by Almanassa, daily accommodation rates now stand at 150 pounds (about $3.09) for third-class beds, 180 (about $4) for second-class, 300 (about $6.19) for first-class, and 380 (about $8) for premium beds. The decree also allows patients to pay 550 pounds (about $11) for private wings. If an air mattress is used, patients must pay an additional 70 pounds (about $1.5) per day. A full-time nurse costs 650 pounds daily (about $13.5), if requested.
According to to decree No. 220, obtained by Al Manassa, daily inpatient rates now stand at 150 pounds (about $3) for third-class beds, 180 (about $4) for second-class, 300 (about $6) for first-class, and 380 (about $8) for premium beds. Private wings are priced at 550 pounds ($11).
Additional charges apply for specialized needs. The daily use of an air mattress, for instance, costs an extra 70 pounds ($1), and a full-time personal nurse is available for 650 pounds ($13) per day upon request.
Fees for therapy and psychological services have also been revised. A speech therapy consultation or a group therapy session is priced at 50 pounds ($1), and individual psychological counseling costs 40 pounds .
Other service fees include a standard intelligence test for 150 pounds ($3), while a medical certificate or report is priced at 100 pounds ($2). Remote consultations via the national mental health platform which used to be free, now cost 50 pounds ($1).
