Doctors' Protest Paralyzes Hospitals

Algerian hospitals noticed an almost complete paralysis in patients’ care, as the majority of workers, general practitioners and specialists stopped working and launched a strike, considering it a reaction against the “ignorance” that is adopted by the ministry that is still taking time to meet the demands that were raised at their level in years.

Doctors strikers criticized the policy of escaping forward that was followed by the ministry’s policy, as a result of its refusal to sit at the negotiating table, and to find effective solutions to improve the situation of this category. 

Workers renewed the demand to amend the Executive Decree No. 393/09, that is related to the private law of general practitioners in public health, according to the bill, which was ratified by the Joint Committee between the Ministry of Health and the National Union of Public Health practitioners in March 15, 2011.

In addition, the list of demands that was submitted by the union, included the application of Article 19 of the law to enable the practitioner to upgrade to the rank of Chairman, to reach the degree of practitioner, and mainstream the doctorate graduation in dentistry and pharmacy for all dentists and practitioners, due to what was reached up by the application of the decision to grant Doctorate graduation by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, since the beginning of last year, which led to the existence of two types of pharmacists and dentists, and lifted the abuses that are practiced on syndicates.