Health Minister Adel al-Adawy said he attended some of the experiments three years ago on the invention of far-fetched “Complete Cure” device, which was declared by the armed forces to be able to detect and treat AIDS and Hepatitis C.

 

He added that rate of accuracy of the diagnosis reaches 95 percent and that using it at hospitals will benefit patients. In addition, using it at blood banks, external clinics will reduce infection with the two viruses.

 

The device, which is composed of a small handle attached to a long antenna, has been heavily criticized, not only for the improbability of curing disease, but also because it has not gone through any of the proper scientific channels before the army began to laud its success.

 

Presidential Scientific Adviser Essam Heggy said the device was a “scandal” and could be an embarrassment for the military. He stressed the need for Egyptian scientific institutions to stick to international standards of scientific research, publishing and production ahead of declaring results reached.

 

Speaking to a talk show aired on the privately-owned TV channel MBC Masr, Adawy said the device was patented and that some agencies said it was proven to be able to treat, while others had reservations, though he did not divulge who.

 

“The ministry will not declare efficiency of the device, except after being tested,” he added indicating that he will declare its inefficiency if that was proven.

 

Once criticism emerged against the device, the doctor leading the team that invented the device, Major General Ibrahim Abdel Aaty, began to wrap the device in conspiracy theories, claiming that he was offered US$2 billion abroad to “forget” about the device. He also said Egyptian intelligence had to escort him safely back to Egypt.

 

The Economist reported that Abdel Aaty had appeared as a faither healer on satellite channels as well as been a private consultant in herbal medicine.

 

 

 

 

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm