Name: Esraa Mohamed ElBasty
Organization: Alexandria Directorate of Health Affairs [Ministry of Health-Egypt]
Role: Assistant Director of the Primary Health Care Department
Achievements/Awards:
– Member at the “Be an SDAmbassador” initiative at the National Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development since April 2021
– Youngest CEO of Central Operation Room for Corona Crisis Management Hotline [15399] in Alexandria from June 2020 till June 2021.
– Youngest Member in Alexandria Health Committee formed by the decision of the Governor of Alexandria No.422 for the year 2020 in the context of facing COVID-19 crisis since April 2020.
– Youngest Leader for the Infection Control team in AlAgami Hospital facing COVID-19 crisis in Alexandria in March 2020.
– Youngest Head of the Infection Control Department at Alexandria Directorate of Health Affairs – AlAmrya District – from 2019 till 2021.
– Hospitals Management and Healthcare Services Professional Training Diploma in June 2019.
– Graduate of the Presidential Leadership Program [PLP] Batch 3 in February 2019.
– Active Organizer at the “World Youth Forum” the two editions of 2018 & 2019.
– Active Organizer at the “CSSP” at Bibliotheca Alexandrina since 2010.
– Freelance Soft Skills Trainer since 2016.
– Certificates of Appreciation from the Governor of Alexandria for the efforts in Management of COVID-19 crisis in the Governorate.
– Certificate of Completion from the National Training Academy [NTA].
– Certificates of Appreciation from Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
How everything almost fell apart:
It all started since my very first years; as a 5-years old girl having a great passion in enjoying her life I started my ambition. At this point I’m grateful to my mother, she inspired me a lot. She helped me build my personality since my first days and always encouraging me to always develop myself.
My first dream was to become an Ambassador of Egypt in all the countries of the world and by the age of 26, I had achieved my dream by organizing the World Youth Forum in 2018.
I graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy and at this point, all I was doing to earn living was related to the pharmaceutical field but on the other side where I had the chance to be a volunteer. I, by nature, tend to find myself interested in different fields and during this phase, it would be anything closer to the communication skills, training and leadership.
I took the decision for the first change and started my steps in career shifting to become an English Instructor and a freelance soft skills trainer. This was my first challenge because this shifting from the technical medical field wasn’t accepted by my family. However, by the power of knowledge, self- confidence, deep passion and ambition I knew I could and I did survive the negative opinions. This move allowed me to join the PLP and learn more about management and leadership. I started to draw the new pathway in linking my medical background with my interests and move in the new steps until I was chosen to become the CEO of Central Operation Room for Corona Crisis Management Hotline [15399] in Alexandria and now an Assistant Director of the Primary Health Care Department. All this before I reached my thirties, age wise.
All these responsibilities are daily challenges besides facing my young age and the culture of people surrounding me in work who of course refuse to be led by a young lady. In one such incident, one manager once said to me, “You are never going to make it. You are a young girl and you have to wait and stop.” In that moment I didn’t even reply but quietly I decided to answer in a new way and finally the manager received my promotion decision from a higher rank.
The key to face it all though is using the right language. I always speak with everyone using suitable words and the right skills in order to achieve effective communication.
I believe, life is so cumulative, today’s hard times are tomorrow’s achievements. So all we can do is to stay committed to believing in ourselves, never lose our passion and get connected to every step that would allow us to take further steps in the pathway of achieving our dreams. No matter how big the dreams are or how far they are, nothing is impossible.
Remember, as long as we are breathing, we must move on and face this life, one day we are going to make it.
