PARLIAMENTARIAN IMPLICATED IN MEDICAL CORRUPTION

UNCLAS CAIRO 000091 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR NEA/ELA INL FOR CLINE/VERVILLE PASS TO FDA AMMAN FOR WHITTLESEY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KCOR TBIO TSPL EG SUBJECT: PARLIAMENTARIAN IMPLICATED IN MEDICAL CORRUPTION SCANDAL Sensitive but unclassified. Not for internet distribution. ¶1. (SBU) A potential corruption scandal involving NDP parliamentarian Hani Sorour ignited following accusations that his medical supply company's sub-standard equipment is responsible for the death of a 50 year old man who died of kidney failure following a contaminated blood transfusion. The company, Hydellina for Advanced Medical Industries, supplied 250,000 allegedly tainted blood bags to Egyptian hospitals in 2006. Ministry of Health Officials have formed a technical committee to review the sale of the bags, and the Parliament will soon debate stripping Sorour of his immunity from criminal prosecution. ¶2. (SBU) According to press reports health officials questioned the quality of the bags when they were looked at for potential export. Poor standards have allegedly led to the growth of a corrosive fungus in some bags. Health Minister El-Gebali told press that the plastic in the bags violated international standards, noting that the Egyptian National Authority for Medicinal Control and Research, and not the Ministry of Health, is responsible for monitoring blood bag quality. ¶3. (SBU) The controversy, which has received significant attention from local media, was the topic of debate on several high profile TV shows on Jan 9. On satellite channel El Mehwar's "Ninety Minutes," former parliamentarian El Badri Farghali called for legislation banning parliamentarians personally benefiting from business deals with state authorities. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Egypt, which has the highest rate of Hepatitis C in the world largely due to sloppy medical procedures, is continuing to suffer from low standards of medical hygiene. While smelling of corruption, this case also highlights the dire need to raise the overall level of health standards. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. RICCIARDONE