The robot, worth EGP 45 million (approximately $2.3 million), is the first to provide services free of charge at the university hospital, Mohamed Othman Elkhosht, president of Cairo University, wrote on his Facebook page, on Friday.

"The robotic surgery provides an opportunity to hundreds of thousands of patients, especially for the treatment of unpostponable tumor cases," Elkhosht added.

The hospital is keeping abreast of the latest developments in oncology surgery, he added, noting that the Qasr El-Aini Hospital treats more than a thousand patients with cancer and kidney tumors annually.

In October 2021, Ain Shams Specialised Hospital announced its first robotic surgery, performing three gallbladder removal operations.