Egypt: Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation inspects the Prosthetics Center in Matrouh and witnesses the delivery and maintenance of 100 prosthetic limbs for mine victims and affected people
During the visit, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat listened to the people of Matrouh who were affected by mines and held a dialogue about the mechanism for applying for a prosthetic limb, the manufacturing timeline, and obtaining it, reaffirming the government's keenness to provide prosthetic devices with the highest levels and standards of efficiency, enabling the injured to reintegrate into society. She also emphasized the government's interest in supporting development efforts in border governorates, whether through the investment plan or the presidential initiative 'Decent Life.'
The Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation also inspected the process of manufacturing and fitting prosthetic devices at the Prosthetics Center by the center's officials, stressing the need to adhere to the highest standards of efficiency and ensure continuous maintenance of prosthetic devices for the people of Matrouh.
Furthermore, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat emphasized the keenness to maximizing the efforts exerted by the Prosthetics Center in Matrouh, in coordination with the relevant entities, especially the Armed Forces Center for Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation, and Rheumatology, to provide all aspects of support to the people affected by mines in Matrouh Governorate, by enabling them to reintegrate into society and overcome challenges that prevent their effective participation in various aspects of life.
H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat added that the ministry, in cooperation with the relevant national entities and in implementation of the directives of H.E. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, is working on developing the Prosthetics Center in Matrouh in collaboration with the German side, in a way that contributes to enhancing its efficiency and strengthening its role in localizing the prosthetics industry in Egypt.
Last week, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat signed the reciprocal letters for the feasibility study grant for the National Prosthetic System Development Project, amounting to 1.52 million Chinese yuan, which aims to position Egypt as a regional hub in the Middle East and Africa for providing prosthetic limbs and assistive devices for people with disabilities, as well as acquiring manufacturing capability according to internationally approved standards.
It is worth noting that in 2007, the Executive Secretariat for Mine Clearance was established at the ministry under Ministerial Decree No. (125) to act as a national coordination and contact point among all entities concerned with mine clearance and the development of the North West Coast, whether governmental, private sector, or civil society, and to mobilize the financial resources necessary to implement its activities. Its current geographical scope of work covers the NorthWest Coast and its desert hinterland, from El-Hammam in the east to El-Salloum in the west and Siwa to the south.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation - Egypt.
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The National
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Whether it's the 52-week ranking system that could see you drop points every week you don't perform well, or the bonus pool formula that penalises players for missing events by docking percentages from their end-of-season bonuses, or the mandatory tournaments scheme that could slap you with a zero-pointer for skipping one – it's essentially like having an F count towards your GPA. There are many reasons tennis players feel like they can't walk away from the tour for a short while. Which is why players like Jabeur – and many before her such as Amanda Anisimova, Naomi Osaka, Bianca Andreescu, and Emil Ruusuvuori to name a few – choosing to take a break is considered a bold and inspiring move. In an ideal world, players would treat potential mental burnout the same way they would deal with possible physical issues. 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'So they're more or less a little bit bulletproof but also they haven't really seen disappointments, they haven't really seen failures, they haven't really seen bad things in their lives. 'So that already itself puts you in that cloud nine thing and you keep on rolling with it. Of course you want to capitalise the best you can. 'The younger you are, the more you do, the more money you get, the more everything has increased, the more popular you get, the more of the Instagrams and all the Twitters and the likes and all that, you get a lot more of it and I get it.' The flip side of that is that you can also ignore how you really feel. Players such as Madison Keys and Andrey Rublev have found great value in working with psychologists rather than solely relying on mental coaches. While a mental coach can give you tools to deal with stressful situations on court and other issues related to your tennis, psychologists will talk to you like a human being first. 'I can only speak for myself. 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Karen Khachanov echoed those sentiments and said he chose to take three weeks off post-US Open last year because he 'wasn't in the best state of mind' during the summer. 'At the end of the day it's not only about having this time off, it's about really being fair, honest and satisfied with yourself. So what is really bothering you, why you are not enjoying it?' asked Khachanov. Anisimova is a prime example of how taking time off to address burnout and mental health concerns can really be beneficial for one's career in the future. The American spent eight months away from the sport before returning in 2024 and has now reached a maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon. Jabeur is just the latest in a string of players speaking up and choosing to put themselves first. Here's hoping others will take notice and opt to prioritise their mental well-being, because the way I see it, burnout may seem truly inevitable but it can also be avoidable with the right approach.
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