CAIRO, June 24 (MENA) - Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli discussed with Chairman of Burjeel Holdings Shamsheer Vayalil a proposed cooperation agreement with the group for the management and operation of the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit at Sheikh Zayed Specialized Hospital.

The meeting was held on Monday at the government headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, during which Madbouli had talks with Shamsheer Vayalil and his accompanying delegation to discuss potential avenues for collaboration in the field of bone marrow transplant.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Human Development and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, and a number of officials from the Health Ministry and Burjeel Holdings.

Vayalil noted that Burjeel Holdings, established in 2012, currently operates a wide network of hospitals and medical centers across the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman, as well as in several African countries, including Tunisia, Chad, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Mauritania, and Somalia, positioning the group as a key player in the medical tourism sector.

He explained that Burjeel Holdings offers specialized medical services across more than 50 disciplines, including oncology, hematology, and bone marrow transplant.

The group also provides accredited training programs in bone marrow transplant, nursing, and critical care.

He added that partnering with the Egyptian government offers a strategic opportunity to establish Egypt as a regional center for bone marrow transplant and targeted immunotherapy, by leveraging its advanced medical tourism infrastructure, geographic proximity to key markets, and cost-effective healthcare services to attract international patients.

For his part, Abdel Ghaffar stated that the partnership with Burjeel Holdings to manage and operate the bone marrow transplant unit at Sheikh Zayed Specialized Hospital aligns with the Ministry of Health and Population’s strategy to advance bone marrow transplantation and targeted immunotherapy services in Egypt.

It also supports the implementation of strategic partnerships with international entities possessing leading expertise in this field.

This collaboration aligns with Egypt’s broader strategy to stimulate investment in the healthcare sector and advance medical tourism through the provision of advanced, high-quality medical services.

The minister affirmed that this partnership will support the national strategy to eliminate waiting lists for bone marrow transplant patients by expanding operational capacity across multiple hospitals beyond Sheikh Zayed Specialized Hospital.

He noted that the number of bone marrow transplant beds overseen by the Specialized Medical Centers Authority (SMCA) is set to increase from 44, comprising 27 beds at the Nasser Institute and 17 at Sheikh Zayed Specialized Hospital, to a total of 100 beds by the end of 2025.

The planned expansion includes the addition of 11 beds at Sheikh Zayed Specialized Hospital, five at the Sohag Oncology Center, and 40 at El-Agouza Hospital.

He added that the partnership with Burjeel Holdings will further support the implementation of the National Bone Marrow Transplant Registry Project.

Burjeel’s international procurement capabilities enable the regular provision of medications and medical consumables required for bone marrow transplants, in full compliance with Egyptian laws and regulations, thereby contributing to the reduction of patient waiting lists.

The minister further noted that the partnership will include training programs in BMT and oncology, as well as specialized training in stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS); a non-surgical radiation therapy that precisely delivers high doses of radiation to a targeted area, often within the brain or spine, and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) using the Brainlab system ( a medical technology company that develops software and hardware solutions for image-guided surgery and radiotherapy).

The partnership will also include training in molecular laboratory techniques, molecular pathology, and digital pathology in cooperation with OncoHelix (Canada's leading precision diagnostics laboratory), as well as support for the introduction of CAR T-cell therapy (an innovative immunotherapy where a patient's own T cells are genetically modified to target and destroy cancer cells). (MENA)
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