Dirty sheets and stray cats

“IN EGYPT, the men are more skilled in medicine than any of human kind,” noted Homer in “The Odyssey”. Egyptian doctors knew how to set bones and perform surgery before others. The “shepherd of the anus”, a proctologist-like figure described by Herodotus, suggests they even specialised. Little wonder that the rulers of other empires sought out their care.

How times have changed. Today even Egypt’s rulers avoid state hospitals. That was evident on June 6th when Ibrahim Mahlab, the prime minister, visited two and was shocked by their dreadful state. Doctors have mocked him by setting up a Facebook page with photos of grim conditions at other hospitals, “so that he won’t be surprised if he visits”. The images show dirty equipment, sewage overflowing and patients surrounded by stray animals.