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Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to indicate whether, when the insured person is abroad and has lost his right to wages, even partially, by reason of sickness, the cash benefit to which he would have been entitled had he not been abroad is paid in whole or in part to his family until his return to Egyptian territory. In its reply, the Government refers once again to section 78 of the Social Security Act, No. 79 of 1975, as amended. The Committee is bound to remind the Government that, although section 78 above defines the right to sickness benefit and specifies its amount and duration, it does not lay down the manner in which this benefit shall be paid to the members of the insured person's family when the sick seafarer is abroad (for example, if he has been taken ashore in the event of sickness or, being on shore, is incapable of returning to his post on board ship by reason of his state of health) and has lost his right to wages, even partially. The Committee therefore hopes that the Government's next report will contain full information on the measures that have been taken or are contemplated to implement the Convention on this point.

Article 7. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to indicate the measures that have been taken or are envisaged to ensure that insurance benefit shall be provided even in respect of sickness occurring during a definite period after the termination of the seafarer's last engagement, which period shall be fixed by national laws or regulations in such a way as to cover the normal interval between successive engagements. In its reply, the Government indicates that the seafarer continues to receive sickness insurance benefit during the intermediary periods between the end of an engagement and the beginning of a new one on board another vessel, and even after the termination of his service, since he is then provided with a pension. While noting this information, the Committee wishes to emphasise that Article 7 of the Convention does not cover the right to sickness insurance of seafarers who are entitled to a pension (the case covered in section 76 of Act No. 79 of 1975), but the case of a seafarer who continues to suffer from sickness after the termination of his contract or who falls sick during a definite period after the termination of the last engagement without suffering from permanent incapacity to work. The Committee therefore hopes that the Government's next report will contain information on all the measures that have been taken or are envisaged to give full effect to Article 7 of the Convention.

[The Government is asked to report in detail for the period ending 30 June 1992.]