Egypt doctors accuse government over deaths

Doctors have accused Egypt’s health ministry of negligence in its handling of Covid-19 and said it bears “full responsibility” for medics’ deaths.

A union said on Monday that 19 doctors had so far died from the disease and more than 350 others had been infected.

It blamed a lack of personal protective equipment and beds for sickened staff, and warned the system could “collapse”.

The health minister insisted sufficient protection had been offered and medics had received the “best possible care”.

Egypt, the most populous country in the Arab world, has so far reported 17,967 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 783 associated deaths.

The doctors’ union said the deaths and infections among its members were the result of the health ministry “falling short” of doing its duty to protect them.