Egypt’s Ministry of Health has walked back a controversial decision to impose consultation fees on patients covered by national insurance and state-funded care, after a storm of public anger over surprise charges at a leading Cairo cancer facility.
The outcry erupted when patients at Gustave Roussy International (formerly Hermel Oncology Hospital) were unexpectedly informed they would be charged 150 Egyptian pounds for specialist visits and 300 pounds for consultations with senior consultants.
In a statement on Sunday, the health ministry said it “categorically rejects” any attempt to impose fees on patients treated under the state’s health insurance or public care programs. It vowed “immediate accountability” for any breaches.
Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the ministry’s spokesperson, confirmed the statement to Al Manassa, but declined to provide additional details.
Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar held an emergency meeting with the hospital’s management. He tasked Assistant Minister for Therapeutic Affairs Peter Wagih and Specialised Medical Centres Secretary Maha Ibrahim with inspecting the facility within 24 hours, stressing that violators would face swift consequences, the ministry's spokesperson told Al Manassa.
Patients first raised alarms after receiving calls from hospital staff notifying them that the new fees would come into effect on Dec. 1.
Mohamed Mohieddin, whose mother is a cancer patient at the hospital, told Al Manassa that customer service had confirmed she would now be charged for her appointments.
“She picks up her medication monthly and sees a specialist or consultant every three months,” Mohieddin explained. “The patients were stunned. We submitted formal complaints to the Cabinet demanding that the decision be overturned.”
Another patient, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, said she was also informed of the new charges when she attempted to book an appointment. “They told me everything now has a price,” she said. After the ministry’s statement, she contacted the hospital again and was told it had all been a “misunderstanding.”
Just hours after the health ministry’s announcement, the hospital issued its own statement denying that any fees had been imposed on state-insured or publicly funded patients. It pledged to comply fully with the minister’s directives and assured that services would remain unchanged.
In February 2025, the ministry signed a controversial public-private partnership with Elevate, a private hospital management firm and exclusive partner of France’s Gustave Roussy Institute. The deal granted Elevate full control to operate, develop, and manage the Hermel facility—rebranded as the institute’s first branch outside France.
At the time, the ministry claimed the hospital would expand its services beyond breast cancer to treat all types of tumors.
Under the agreement, 70% of hospital beds were allocated to patients covered by public insurance or state-funded programs. The remaining 30% were reserved for private patients, charged at commercial rates.
But since Elevate assumed control, complaints have multiplied. Patients, who previously spoke to Al Manassa, reported drug shortages, being forced to purchase medications out-of-pocket, and a drastic cut in chemotherapy sessions covered by the state—from 16 to just six.
Responding to those complaints, Dr. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar had told Al Manassa in June that the ministry had already investigated reports of severe overcrowding prior to Eid Al-Adha.
“We visited and confirmed that, yes, the hospital was overcrowded,” he said. “But the issue was resolved before the holiday.”
