The House greenlights hospital privatization bill: The House gave preliminary approval to a new bill that will permit the private sector to manage and operate public hospitals and healthcare facilities in Egypt.

The exception: The bill will not include medical facilities offering health services key to national security or basic healthcare and birth control units and centers as well as facilities operating blood and plasma collection.

Backing the bill: Private sector involvement in public health will improve the services offered to citizens, head of the Social Solidarity Committee Abdel Hadi Al Qasabi said. Meanwhile, Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said that the bill is in line with the government’s strategy to attract the private sector into all areas of the economy.

Not everyone is onboard: The bill received some blowback from some MPs including Atef El Meghawry and Ihab Mansour, who rejected the bill on the grounds that the move will make healthcare too expensive for ordinary citizens. “When the private sector acquires the right to manage public hospitals it will discriminate among citizens depending on who can pay and who can’t, this goes against the constitution,” Mansour said.

The bill was also rebuffed by the Doctors’ Syndicate: Local and foreign investors have the right to build new private hospitals in Egypt but should not be permitted to manage existing government or public hospitals that offer services to low-income citizens, head of the Medical Syndicate Osama Abdel Hay told the House. “The bill will give private investors the right to raise the price of healthcare services without a limit, not to mention that the bill will negatively impact the lives of 75% of doctors and nurses who are working with Health Ministry affiliated hospitals,” he added.

What to expect: Foreign medical staff will not be allowed to exceed 25% of all total staff members in licensed healthcare facilities under the bill.

What’s next? The bill will be up for a final vote when the House meets today.

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