Doctor loses sight fighting coronavirus in Cairo

Ten doctors have died in Egypt and 178 have been infected while fighting the coronavirus, according to the Doctors Syndicate. (AFP)
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Updated 15 May 2020
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Doctor loses sight fighting coronavirus in Cairo

CAIRO: The Egyptian government will treat a doctor for free after he lost his eyesight while working in a coronavirus quarantine hospital. 

The doctor, Mahmoud Samy, lost sight in both eyes after suffering from high blood pressure that affected the ophthalmic artery. 

Although Samy was not blinded directly by the virus, government officials said that he will be transferred from Kafr El-Sheikh Hospital to the International Medical Center and treated at the state’s expense. 

The Health Affairs Department in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, north of Cairo, said that Samy, a fever specialist at Bella Hospital, was left blind after suffering from high blood pressure while working in the quarantine hospital in Balteem. 

In a statement, health officials said that Samy suffered from breathing difficulties and high blood pressure. His health deteriorated on May 9, and he received first aid and underwent a CT scan. Later he was taken by ambulance to the intensive care unit in Kafr El-Sheikh Chest Hospital. 

Samy tested negative for the coronavirus, but after his condition improved, he discovered he was unable to see. 

In a media statement made while in intensive care, Samy said that he did not regret carrying out his duties. 

“If it happened all over again, I would perform my duty as a doctor,” he said. 

“I hope that God cures me and gives me back my eyesight so I can go back to work and help my colleagues fight the coronavirus. 

“I do not regret carrying out my duty. May God help doctors, nurses and the state in fighting this pandemic.” 

Dr. Amr Abu Samra, head of the Kafr El-Sheikh Doctors Syndicate, said that specialists are monitoring Samy’s health and providing him with emotional support. 

Ten doctors have died in Egypt and 178 have been infected while fighting the coronavirus, according to the Doctors Syndicate. 

The most recent death was Dr. Karem Mahmoud Abul Magd, head of the Internal Medicine Department in Luxor International Hospital, who died of COVID-19 late on Wednesday in Aswan Quarantine Hospital in Upper Egypt. 

Dr. Kawthar Mahmoud, head of the Nurses Syndicate and head of the Central Department for Nursing in Egypt, said that so far six nurses have died from COVID-19. 

The latest victim was Soheir Helmy, a nurse in El-Demerdash Surgery Hospital, who fell ill while working in the quarantine hospital in Abour.


Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction

Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares. (AP)
Updated 02 January 2026
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Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction

  • Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway

RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza. 
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. 
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.