Metaverse technology to promote medical travel to Egypt

Man wearing VR headset to access the metaverse

Egypt’s General Authority of Health Care has announced it will use metaverse technology to promote inbound medical travel, as the country’s tourism sector is trying to compensate for the losses incurred from the pandemic and the Russian war on Ukraine.

Tourism is vital to the national economy, and the Egyptian government is looking for alternatives to stimulate the sector and compensate for the losses it incurred in the past years.

The General Authority for Health Care has now launched 3D virtual reality technology to promote medical tourism, using the slogan “We Take Care of You in Egypt”.

Particular targets are in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The metaverse technology allows potential patients to visit health facilities affiliated with the authority in the governorates of Port Said, Luxor, and Ismailia using 3D virtual reality technology to introduce them to the facilities’ capabilities and installations, rooms and hotel amenities.

The authority is keen to provide smart virtual services across Egypt. It piggybacks on the system set up for the introduction of universal health insurance in Egypt that, so far, is only in a few governorates. The aim is to pave the way for a smart future filled with distinct virtual services that meet the aspirations of customers and contribute to the efficient use of time and effort.

It is also in line with the authority’s strategy to move services toward the digital world and artificial intelligence and its vision towards providing an advanced model of healthcare in Egypt, with internationally approved quality.

Promoting Egypt using the latest modern technology is also seen as a step to revitalising tourism.

Another way the government could play a major role in promoting medical tourism, is by expediting the medical tourism law, which has yet to be ratified.  This law would define the competencies, responsibilities and tasks of the health and tourism sector, and the joint coordination between the two sides to organise and develop medical tourism in Egypt.