Egypt commemorated on Wednesday 18 March Egyptian Doctors Day, as medical practitioners are struggling in hard conditions to contain the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19). 

Amid COVID-19 crisis, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate (EMS) decided this year to cancel its annual ceremony which usually includes honouring distinguished doctors and celebrating the great roles of doctors across the country. 

The EMS picked that date of 18 March to mark the Egyptian Doctors’ Day every year which also marked the anniversary of inaugurating the first medical school in 1827 in Abu Zaabal, the first in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa, the EMS said. The school was relocated after that to Kasr Al-Aini in 1837. 

“The day is a reminder of the significance of the doctors in the society, as they treat and watch over the comfort of patients notwithstanding their gender, boundaries, or religion,” the EMS said on its website. 

On Monday, the EMS addressed President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi requesting an increase in the risk allowance for doctors, a demand the syndicate has been making for years.

Egypt is struggling to contain the potential spread of Covid-19, as the number of the country total cases increased to 196 on Tuesday, while the death toll stands at six people. 

Egyptian social media users have been sharing stories and photos last weeks of doctors from the country’s quarantine hospitals, praising their efforts in this difficult time.