Press release
Geneva – August 9, 2024
Dozens of graduates from nursing and health technical institutes held a protest on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, demanding registration and the issuance of licenses from the General Nursing Syndicate to practice their profession.
Amid a heavy police presence, a meeting was held between members of the syndicate’s board and several graduates from the 2021-2022 batch in an attempt to resolve the issue.
This is not the first time such protests have occurred. In February 2016, hundreds of students from health technical institutes across various governorates organized simultaneous protests against Ministry of Higher Education Decree No. 820, which equated institute graduates with holders of intermediate diplomas, requiring them to complete their studies at their own expense.
During the National Dialogue sessions in July 2023, Ahmed El-Deebki, President of the General Syndicate of Health Sciences, submitted a memorandum of demands to Diaa Rashwan, the dialogue coordinator. Among the demands was the amendment of the licensing format for graduates so that the license does not include the full resume of the graduate, to avoid confusion about the content and profession of license holders. The demands also included prohibiting the establishment of new educational entities for health sciences unless they are linked to labor market needs and are reviewed by the Cabinet, with input from the syndicate.
The Committee for Justice (CFJ) calls on the Nursing Syndicate’s board to find solutions to the ongoing crisis faced by nursing and health technical institute graduates, rather than obstructing the issuance of their professional practice licenses. CFJ also urges coordination with the Egyptian government, represented by the Ministries of Labor and Health, to reach a satisfactory resolution for the graduates.
