The National Social Insurance Fund for Salaried Workers (CNAS) and the specialized hospital establishment Pierre-et-Marie Curie (CPMC) signed a historic partnership agreement this Tuesday to include liver transplants from living donors in social security services. The official ceremony was overseen by the Minister of Health, Mohamed Seddik Aït Messaoudène, and the Minister of Labor, Employment, and Social Security, Abdelhak Saïhi.
On this occasion, Mr. Aït Messaoudène stated, “This agreement marks a major step in the development of specialized medicine in Algeria, particularly in the field of liver transplantation from living donors.” He expressed gratitude and praise for all actors in this sector for their remarkable scientific efforts contributing to building specialized national capacities.
The minister also noted that this agreement “will significantly reduce patient transfers abroad, improve the quality of care within the country, and optimize the use of advanced medical technologies.” He emphasized that it reflects the state’s desire to “raise the quality of national medical care and establish a structured program for liver transplantation from living donors, ensuring optimal patient follow-up in this high-precision medical field.”
Moreover, he highlighted “the vital importance of intersectoral cooperation in health, through contractual mechanisms between CNAS and hospital establishments, allowing optimal use of resources and their direction towards the most complex care, thus ensuring quality care within the national territory and limiting recourse to treatments abroad.”
In this spirit, the minister praised “the decisive role of CNAS alongside the Ministry of Health, thanks to its experience in financing health structures, making it an essential partner in public health.” He added that this cooperation has already enabled the implementation of several agreements in areas such as hemodialysis, kidney transplantation, prenatal care, and cardiac surgery.
For his part, the Minister of Labor, Abdelhak Saïhi, explained the direct implications of the program for the population, stating that “previously, 100 patients per year required transfers abroad for liver transplants. Thanks to this program, we now record only five.”
The minister also highlighted the mobilization of local expertise, affirming, “We will leverage available expertise in Algeria to strengthen our health sovereignty.” He also emphasized that CPMC will become “a true reference for liver transplantation in Algeria,” thereby contributing to the modernization of the national health system.
Furthermore, Mr. Saïhi announced that the program will begin with five liver transplants per year, and the first operation was successfully carried out last week, marking the resumption of transplantations after several years of suspension.
Professor Kamel Ben Tabak, head of the liver transplant unit at CPMC, expressed satisfaction with the revival of this essential activity, highlighting the importance of this collaboration for strengthening local capacities in organ transplantation.