Egypt has opened a 3.5 billion Egyptian pound (US$113 million) hospital in East Cairo under a public-private partnership (PPP) model as the government seeks to leverage private sector expertise to improve state-owned healthcare facilities, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said.
The newly inaugurated Cleopatra Hospital Tagamoa (Sky) is owned by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources but equipped and managed by Cleopatra Hospitals Group, one of Egypt’s largest private healthcare operators.
Madbouly said the project represents a flagship example of Egypt’s strategy to expand cooperation with private investors to improve service quality and ensure the financial and operational sustainability of public medical assets.
“The government is making great efforts to develop the health system and reach all parts of the country with health initiative services,” Madbouly said, adding that Egypt aims to raise efficiency at existing facilities while meeting international standards in new projects.
The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi, and Cleopatra Hospitals Group CEO Ahmed Ezzeldin.
Abdel Ghaffar said the Cleopatra Sky hospital uses artificial intelligence-based diagnostic tools and data-driven management systems. The facility includes around 240 rooms, 48 intensive care beds, seven operating theatres, and two catheterisation laboratories, covering more than 40 medical specialisations.
As part of the visit, Madbouly also inspected construction work at the New Heliopolis Hospital, a 400-bed public hospital scheduled for completion by January 2027.
The New Heliopolis project is being built on a 42,000-square-metre site by the Ministry of Health in cooperation with the Engineering Authority of the Armed Forces and is expected to serve about one million residents in East Cairo.
Abdel Ghaffar said the health ministry has begun discussions with Italy’s San Donato Group on potential cooperation to manage and operate the New Heliopolis Hospital. He said the talks follow directives from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to strengthen international partnerships and align Egypt’s healthcare services with global standards.
The New Heliopolis Hospital will include 194 intensive care beds, 57 neonatal incubators, and 16 operating theatres for general surgery, open-heart procedures and neurosurgery. It will also house specialised units for bone marrow and organ transplants, as well as dialysis centres with 50 machines for adults and 20 for children, officials said.
Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi said the Cleopatra Sky partnership reflects the government’s broader development strategy, which prioritises investment in human capital and healthcare infrastructure.
Cleopatra Hospitals Group CEO Ahmed Ezzeldin said the hospital includes specialised centres of excellence in trauma care, cardiology, nephrology and neurology, alongside a 25-bed emergency department operating round the clock, supported by integrated blood bank services and dedicated paediatric units covering 11 sub-specialities.
Egypt has increasingly turned to PPP models in healthcare, transport and energy as part of broader economic reforms aimed at easing pressure on public finances while maintaining service delivery.
