The Ministry of Health has so far spent LE1 billion (about $188 million) on upgrading the emergency services, which have been declining for many years. This huge amount of money has been used to purchase 1,200 well-equipped ambulances, the sirens of 220 of which have already started wailing. There's also a new wireless network to ensure they respond swiftly in an emergency.

Meanwhile, ambulance crews and paramedics will be given thorough training courses to hone their skills. But one key step is still missing: motorists need to be taught a new culture on the nation's roads. For example, they should pull in to the side of the road, when an ambulance wants to pass, to increase the chances of saving the lives of seriously sick or injured people. Although the Ministry of Health has indicated that the Traffic Police are willing to play ball, there could still be problems for the emergency services. One problem is that Cairo's streets in particular are blocked all the time with bumper-to-bumper cars, which doesn't even offer the space for a bicyclist to pass. There's nothing the Traffic Police can do about this, except wait for the traffic to ease. The only solution is to have an ambulance-only lane in our streets.