In hospitals and clinics across Egypt, a quiet emergency is taking hold as doctors dwindle from the healthcare system. Burdened by overwhelming workloads, stagnating pay, and limited professional prospects, thousands of doctors are departing the country for work abroad. Their exodus has left a fragile healthcare system straining to meet demand, and millions of Egyptians are increasingly unable to access basic medical care. Only 38 percent of doctors licensed to practice in Egypt are currently working in the country. The remaining 62 percent are either abroad or on extended leave, according to the Egyptian Medical Syndicate. As a result, Egypt’s doctor-to-population ratio has plummeted from 7.5 doctors per 10,000 people in 2015 to 6.7 in 2020, marking less than half the global average of 17. According to the Ministry of Health, about 9,000 doctors graduate each year, yet over 60 percent seek work abroad. Lower-income countries like Algeria and Bolivia surpass Egypt’s ratio, with 17 and 10 doctors per 10,000 people, respectively. The United States, by comparison, has 35 per 10,000. Between 2019 and March 2022, approximately 11,536 doctors resigned from their government positions, according to the Medical Syndicate. Nearly…
