The Ministry of Health and Population has announced the closure of 32 unlicensed centers for addiction treatment and psychiatry in several governorates, according to a statement released on Wednesday, 7 January. The Ministry clarified that these centers, located in the governorates of Alexandria, Sharqia, Beheira, and Dakahlia, were shut down for operating without licenses and violating health and legal regulations. The decision follows a viral video that spread last week, showing a mass escape by residents from an addiction treatment facility in Egypt after allegations of mistreatment and abuse, prompting the Ministry of Health to shut down the center and refer those responsible to the Public Prosecution. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, explained that joint inspection campaigns involving the Free Treatment Department in the health directorates, the National Council for Mental Health, and the General Administration for Drug Control at the Ministry of the Interior led to the closure of these violating facilities. The closures in Alexandria included 8 centers in the areas of Abu Tlat and Al-Ajami, such as the Dar El-Safa Center. In the Sharqia governorate, 11 centers in 10th of…
