Health employees to resume strike in Algeria

Health staff will resume their strike on Monday to protest against what they called the Algerian health minister Abdelaziz Ziari’s obstinacy. Union representatives said he wasted time in meetings with health directors without talking to them.

The strike would cause sufferance among patients who are expected to undergo surgeries.

Sources say the danger threatens patients at ophthalmology and heart departments.

Last week’s strike postponed 123 scheduled surgeries at Mustapha Pacha hospital in Algiers.

“The strike will inevitably be resumed. We wish the minister invited us to hold talks but he preferred to meet with health directors and incite them to cut our pays,” leader of medical practitioners’ union Lies Merabet told Echorouk.

“The minister even rejects dialogue with us. So, what should we expect? The medical situation in our country is so bad that our hospitals were not able to treat the president,” he added.

He denied that striking doctors did not care about ensuring minimum service. He said medical teams are mobilized in hospitals.

Medical unions plan to sit-in at the health ministry on Wednesday to protest against the minister’s refusal to meet their demands.