VZCZCXRO7888
PP RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB
DE RUEHEG #0091 0150502
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 150502Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY CAIRO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3186
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI PRIORITY 0156
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC PRIORITY

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. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶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