‎Egypt mulls establishing first blood bag manufacturing plant

Minister of Public Enterprise Sector Mahmoud Esmat has received Head of the Egyptian Unified Procurement Authority (UPA), Bahaa El Din Zeidan, and his accompanying delegation, to discuss the establishment of a factory, the first of its kind in Egypt, to produce blood bags, anticoagulants, and supplies used in blood transfusions for patients.

The project would be implemented in cooperation with a Japanese company – with the aim of transferring technology and localising the industry – and in partnership between Holdipharma, UPA and two private sector companies to meet local market needs, which amounts to 2.5 million blood bags annually. In addition, export to neighboring markets in Africa and Arab countries.

He highlighted the importance of the blood bags manufacturing project within the integrated project of the UPA to secure the needs of blood and its various derivatives within the framework of the state’s general policy to support manufacturing, technology transfer, and the localisation of various industries.

Esmat emphasized the importance of integration between public and private sectors to advance the pharmaceutical industry in Egypt and deepen local manufacturing, especially in light of what the local and foreign private sector possesses of modern technology and accumulated experience in management.

The UPA has played an important role in developing the proposed project including the manufacture of blood bags and their requirements, means of anticoagulation, transfer and localisation of this technology, and training of workers, in cooperation with the Japanese partner and local partners, the minister concluded.