"My name is Shafik and I have my own business which I started 8 years ago. My company began as a small unit of 5 employees, marketing electronic products nationally, but over the years, thanks to the progress we made, we have expanded beyond Egypt to other markets in the Middle East and Asia.
I now have 45 people working for me and, several of them have to make business trips to other countries on a regular basis.
Before starting this business, I worked for a large organisation in a sales role and I used to travel abroad once in a while.
I remember a trip to Belgium, when suddenly I had to undergo an emergency surgery for appendicitis. Being young and being in perfect health, I thought nothing could happen to me. I guess that was not true ! The company did not have any overseas medical coverage which meant that I had to meet all the expenses which, over time and after several complaints, the company was reimbursed.
While in Belgium, away from my family and alone, I not only worried about the actual operation but also its cost in a foreign country. I was also disappointed that my company did not care enough about me as an employee to protect me against such situations .
What happened to me then left a lasting impact and when I started my own business, the first thing I did was purchase a Medical policy for my employees which I have now extended to cover all the countries that they would be travelling to. If ever the situation should arise and there is a medical emergency, the last thing I want them to worry about is the financial impact of the treatment."
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