Report from BHW Egypt Partnership Facilitator Following Visit

We visited the clinic at about 8 pm on the 5th and found it busy with several parents waiting while their children were being treated. We looked in on several to observe them and visited the sensory room and were shown how it worked. We also visited the rest of the facility and met several of the doctors and other health professionals who were working at that time. that included the two physiotherapy rooms with equipment, there were no patients in that evening, and the laboratory which was just being commissioned. A blood testing machine had arrived the day before and they were now ready to get underway with being able to use it. This was going to save them a lot of money using outside companies and would shorten waiting times considerable. 

We visited again on the 6th and saw it in operation again. Some of the lab staff were there learning how it was to operate. More children were in for treatment and we observed again. This time there was a child in the sensory room, and we had a quick peek to see him and his helper sitting in the dark! We also observed the cay care centre in operation. 

The clinic is called Life and Healing Medical Clinic and its mission is: “We are a medical outpatient polyclinic providing the practical love of Jesus to our community, through a high-quality medical service considering the socio-economic status, fulfilling Jesus’ Great Commission.”

They have a medical clinic in another building near to the church building and they have developed the latest facility in the church building. It includes physiotherapy, occupational therapy, a laboratory, the sensory room, a room for family counselling and training and several small rooms for personal therapy and counselling. They also run a day care for neurodiverse young children. 

Recent Events

- The clinic opened in May 2025 with an official opening and programme. 

- Staff members were recruited to run the ministry

- The daycare was the first part to open, and it grew to full capacity very quickly 

- Funds received in July were used to finalise the set-up of the facility and order equipment

- Funds received in September were used for recruiting staff 

Personal Stories

Dan is a little Downs Syndrome boy who came in with no ability to support himself. His body had no muscle tone and he had no control. After some months you could see the improvement. The family is so rapt with the changes and cannot believe the improvement. The family is receiving help to learn how to work with him and help him themselves as well as at the clinic. 

From several people we heard about another 3-year-old boy who was seriously autistic. His family had moved to a European country for the primary purpose of getting help for their son. There had been little improvement over 18 months when they came back to Assiut for a family event and were there for several months. While in Assiut they got their son enrolled in the clinic and he immediately began to improve. By the end of their time in Assiut he was almost normal and they decided to remain in Assiut rather than return to Europe. He has become the poster child for their clinic and its effectiveness. 

Partnership's Influence within the Community

It is very hard to assess the community vibe as we are not able to talk to people easily. And we didn’t want to make a scene at the clinic as foreigners. However, there is a huge waiting list for almost every programme at the clinic which tells us that they have already developed a strong reputation in the community. 

Ideas for the Future

1) They want to run a team retreat to build their team, encourage them and develop a strong team culture 

2) They have a desire to develop a NICU unit, and they gave us some information about their plans. 

3) Iraq mission. Since 2019, church leaders have been visiting Kurdistan in northern Iraq to assess and develop ministry opportunities. In 2024 a woman from their church, went to live in Dubrok as a missionary. She works with Yazidi women and wants to establish a salon as a safe place to train and meet the girls and have conversations with them. Almost all of them are traumatised by ISIS. However, the amount they want is far too high for a project like this, mainly because she lives in one place and wants to set up about an hour and travel to and fro every day. This blows the budget out and they are aware they must rethink it before we would consider it. 

Current Issues and Challenges

- They still need some devices to be able to function to their full capacity

- It is increasingly difficult for people to pay anything towards the treatment of their children 

- They are overwhelmed by the number of people needing help. Until the clinic opened, they were not aware of the full extent of the issues. 

Prayer and Praise Points

1) That the programme has begun and it is developing a good reputation
2) That many children have been helped with development and their families are learning to care for their own children more effectively
3) Because of the clinic they have been able to get access to hundreds of people even though it’s only just begun operating
4) They are very excited about the help they are able to now deliver to the community

Comments

These guys are extremely inspirational. They clearly understand the issues of development and have a handle on the connection between the gospel and caring for the poor. 

There is potentially a long journey with them in the future with several other projects being developed we are being invited into. 

The NICU unit project is out of our league, and we have told them that. 

I recommend that the budget remain the same for the coming year. They are asking for an increase, but I do not think it is warranted and I would like them to make this work with the least amount of external operational subsidy. We will check it again in a year.