Egyptian hospital closes doors after police assault

Egypt's Doctors' Syndicate has been "forced" to shut down al-Matariya Teaching Hospital after one of its doctors was assaulted by policemen, the syndicate announced on Sunday.

The hospital will not receive any patients, including emergency cases, until the policemen are arrested and tried, the syndicate said.

"The hospital will remain closed until the policemen are arrested and referred to trial," Ehab al-Taher, the syndicate's secretary said on Sunday.

The announcement follows a meeting on Saturday in which the syndicate discussed the assault on doctors in Matariya Teaching Hospital in Cairo and called upon the interior ministry to act.

Doctor Ahmed Abdallah received an injured patient, accompanied by a man, who came to Matariya for treatment on Thursday.

The man's wounds were pronounced as "superficial" by medics at the hospital.

But doctors were accused of "belittling" the injury when the men were told no stiches were required.

"He started insulting and cursing," Abdallah said.

The accompanying man joined in and "started beating and hurling further insults," Abdallah added.

The policemen, who later revealed their identity, handcuffed and dragged Abdallah to a police van transporting him to the police station.

Abdallah was later investigated for "assaulting policemen," revealed Doctors' Syndicate Deputy Mona Mina.

The incident has once again highlighted Egyptian police brutality and a culture of impunity.

Egypt's Interior Ministry has not yet responded to the syndicate's calls for the prosecution of the policemen.

The brutal force of Egyptian police and security forces was one of the triggers of the revolution in Egypt which sparked on 25th January, a date that marked Police Day in Egypt.