Reality: genius in Algeria live in painful conditions

Algerian scientists in Algeria suffer from bad conditions in different aspects. An Algerian researcher who was the dream of world universities came back to Algeria where he was marginalised. At the end, he killed himself. A genius doctor who studied in Switzerland but she was touched b y marginalisation and became mental ill.

Sufferance of nuclear physics researcher

As Algeria was celebrating the Knowledge Day in 2001, the Algerian genius Lamine Merire put an end to his life by throwing himself from Constantine’s bridge (east of Algiers). This suicide act did not make any event in a city so-called “Knowledge’s city” and on a day said to be the Knowledge Day.

The late Lamine Merire did not do anything wrong than being genius and hard-working. He was born in 1953 in Constantine where he was a brilliant student in his technical studies and obtained a degree in engineering. He got a scholarship to the United States where he obtained big degrees in nuclear physics. He worked as a teacher at Michigan University.

He decided to come back to Algeria to transfer his knowledge there but he did not find any suitable job for him until he found himself working at forests department in return for a very law salary.

The Algerian doctor was so shocked that he chose to live in isolation while his neighbours knew about his case but they were unable to help him.The 48-year-old man decided on the Knowledge Day to throw himself from a bridge while the city of Constantine was celebrating that day.

From Health Ministry to mental hospital

Doctor Assia Bririche was the first woman appointed by former Algerian President Chadli Ben Djedid as a minister of health in the 1980’s. Yet, the modest scientist woman simply said she was created to train young doctors and rejected the position.

This iron woman followed studies in dental surgery in Algiers and moved to Switzerland to continue her studies there. She was asked to teach in Switzerland but she came back to her homeland to relaunch dental surgery college in Constantine.

The 60-year-old professor dentist who has been working as a teacher more than 25 years suffers from health troubles due to social reasons. Most of Constantine’s residents have been seeing her walking on the streets and talking to herself in the mirror for 4 years.

She was so suffering from psychological troubles that she daggered a coffee shop’s owner.

Has the professor Assia done something wrong? What would have happened if she stayed in Switzerland to work there as a teacher or if she accepted to hold the position of minister?

The genius doctor is now in a mental hospital in Constantine.

Researchers are in bad situation

Doctor Ismail Boudjaadar said he was so sorry for the situation of Algerian researchers who earn low salaries. “Meanwhile, universities teachers in developed countries are spoilt and enjoy all moral and physical conditions.”

According to him, scientists in research laboratories in Algeria buy equipments at their own expenses due to the low budget allocated for the laboratories.

Crowded universities

For his part, Doctor Salah Hanfouk, the dean of dental surgery faculty in Constantine showed pessimism over the future of dental surgeons’ profession in Algeria.

According to him, the university is so crowded that hinders training. “The profession which based on practice first has lost a lot of hours. Students used to have 6 hours of practice per week but now they have only one hour and 30 minutes.”

“Students who spend five years in theory studies will be shocked by painful reality,” he added.