Hospitals oblige patients to certify medical documents to avoid prosecution

More than 20,000 lawsuits were filed against public hospitals including 8,000 against labor departments, 5,000 against emergency and general surgery departments and 7,000 against doctors and nurses, according to the Algerian justice ministry.

This comes as hospitals oblige patients to certify a document to accept any possible complications following medical intervention.

The Algerian health ministry criticized public clinics for that document and opened an investigation, two years ago. This raised controversy among patients as they allege they were obliged to certify medical documents to get appointments in hospitals.

The Algerian Organization for Medical Error Victims also criticized those documents, saying they are “intruders” in the health system and encourage hospitals to continue neglecting patients.

The organization called for an urgent investigation as thousands of cases are still suspended in courts.

Spokesman for the organization Mahieddine Abu Bakr told Echorouk many patients called him and expressed dissatisfaction about being obliged to certify medical documents.

“The health ministry should open an investigation into those procedures and their consequences. The number of medical error victims in public hospitals is on the rise due to medical neglect and bad diagnosis,” he added.

President of the Algerian Medical Association Bekkat Berkani said those procedures are illegal and they are meant to protect doctors from judicial prosecution.

“Doctors must explain to patients any possible complication following a medical intervention. They should give them a document to prove that and to be signed by patients. Yet, obliging people to certify this document is illegal and must be stopped right now,” he added.