In an important intervention that reflected the pulse of the Egyptian street and the needs of the health sector, MP Yasser Galal, Deputy Chairman of the Culture and Media Committee in the Senate, stressed the utmost importance of the file of treatment at the expense of the state , describing it as a lifeline and real hope for thousands of simple patients, and not just routine procedures or papers that are exchanged between offices.

Constitutional dimension and governmental commitment

During his address to the Senate plenary session, Jalal invoked the constitutional framework governing health rights in Egypt, emphasizing that the state bears a direct responsibility towards its citizens under Article 18 of the Egyptian Constitution. This article clearly stipulates the right of every citizen to health and comprehensive healthcare according to quality standards, and criminalizes the refusal to provide treatment in its various forms to any person in emergency situations or when life is in danger.

The MP explained that this constitutional obligation requires the government to remove all obstacles that prevent the service from reaching those who deserve it with the required speed and efficiency, noting that the Egyptian state has made great efforts in recent years, as issuing treatment decisions has become easier procedurally compared to the past, but challenges still exist.

The waiting list crisis and increasing pressure

The Deputy Chairman of the Culture and Media Committee addressed one of the most pressing problems facing patients and their families: the long waiting times. He pointed out that waiting lists in some hospitals and specialized fields can extend for extended periods, sometimes reaching five or six months. While this delay reflects the immense pressure on the public healthcare system and the increasing number of patients, it necessitates unconventional solutions to ensure that patients' health does not deteriorate during the waiting period.

Integration of the health system and alternative medicines

Yasser Galal presented a practical vision for a solution based on two main pillars:

• First: Strengthening coordination and integration between Ministry of Health and Population hospitals on the one hand, and university hospitals on the other. Observers believe that the lack of effective coordination between these two main branches of the healthcare system in Egypt is one of the primary reasons for the overcrowding of patients in certain facilities, while vacancies or resources may be available in other locations.
• Second: The necessity of adopting a clear pharmaceutical policy that supports the culture of "alternative" or equivalent (generic) medicines. Jalal emphasized the importance of educating citizens that generic medicines contain the same active ingredient and meet the same quality standards, which contributes to saving budgets, reducing the burden on both the state and patients, and ensuring the sustainability of healthcare services.

These demands come at a time when the Egyptian state is seeking a gradual transition towards implementing the comprehensive health insurance in all governorates, as the state-funded treatment system represents the current bridge that the unable to afford it cross to obtain their right to treatment until the new system is generalized.

In his first direct comment on the controversial incident, former US President Barack Obama launched a scathing attack on what he described as the "lack of decency and decorum" in current US political discourse. This came in response to a video posted on former President Donald Trump's Truth Social account, which included offensive images depicting Obama and his wife Michelle as monkeys, sparking widespread outrage.

The decline of political discourse and the absence of responsibility

In an exclusive interview with left-leaning political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen, Obama expressed his deep dismay at the current state of political discourse. "There's a farce going on right now on social media and on television," Obama stated bluntly. The former president added, referring to the erosion of traditional political values, "The truth is, there doesn't seem to be any shame about it among people who used to feel that you had to show a certain amount of decency, taste, and respect for public office," lamenting that these values ​​"have been lost.".

Context of the attack and its impact on the elections

This attack comes in a politically charged context, as the video in question promoted baseless conspiracy theories about Trump's loss in the 2020 election to Joe Biden. At the end of the clip, Barack and Michelle Obama's faces were superimposed onto the bodies of monkeys for approximately one second. This comparison carries offensive historical and racial connotations, especially given that Obama was the first Black president in US history, and Michelle was the first Black first lady, thus elevating the incident beyond mere political squabbles to touch a raw nerve regarding racism.

In analyzing the impact of such posts, Obama explained that this behavior could backfire on the Republican Party, noting that most Americans "consider this behavior deeply troubling." He predicted that these actions would harm the Republicans' chances in the midterm elections, expressing his confidence that "the final response will come from the American people," who refuse to be drawn into this level of low-level rhetoric.

Criticism of Minnesota's immigration policies

Obama's remarks weren't limited to the offensive video; he also addressed other policy issues related to immigration. He likened the actions of those conducting anti-immigrant campaigns in Minnesota to "dictatorships," criticizing the methods used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and warning against the dangers of adopting repressive practices that contradict American democratic values.

Reactions and justifications from the Trump campaign

It is worth noting that the video, which was posted a few days ago, sparked a storm of criticism from members of both the Democratic and Republican parties due to its blatantly racist nature. In an attempt to mitigate the situation, Trump's team later deleted the clip, and the White House (referring to Trump's former team or those managing his account) blamed an employee who they claimed posted the video "by mistake." However, the incident left a negative impact and reignited the debate about the boundaries of acceptable speech in the digital and political spheres.