The Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Military Production Ministry are cooperating with the Armed Forces Medical Services Department to set up the region’s largest area to produce pharma and medical supplies, Al Masry Al Youm reports. Military Production Minister Mohamed Al Assar said that the ministry is now mandated to manufacture locally the various devices, medical equipment and supplies, whose imports are a strain on the state budget. The ministry announced last week it has two projects in the health sector worth USD 115 mn in the pipeline.