The future of health in Algeria relies on a structured partnership between the public and private sectors, better governance, and the enhancement of human resources, assured this Monday Professor Rachid Belhadj, president of the National Union of Hospital-University Faculty Members (SNECHU) and head of medical and paramedical activities at Mustapha–Pacha University Hospital Center. Mr. Belhadj advocated for a clear-sighted and humane reform of the national health system.
Professor Belhadj stated that the health sector in Algeria remains at a crossroads, caught between exemplary free care and persistent dysfunctions. He emphasized on the national radio that “health is not just treatment; it also includes prevention, training, and health education.” Reminding that the private sector was marginalized after the introduction of free healthcare in the 1970s, he considered its role today indispensable. He explained that “the 2018 law regards the private sector as a complement to public service. This is a logical development, provided it fits within a clear and controlled legal framework.”
The president of SNECHU defended the specificity of the Algerian model based on free healthcare, highlighting that “foreigners are often surprised to learn that our surgical operations, CT scans, or MRIs are free. This is a national pride.” However, he also acknowledged inequalities in care, noting that “quality is not always guaranteed, and citizens suffer from this.” He specified that the most complex cases, such as cancers, mental illnesses, or chronic diseases, continue to rely on public hospitals.
According to Professor Belhadj, health must now be conceived as a strategic industry, arguing that “the world understood after the Covid-19 pandemic that health is a matter of national security, on par with energy or food.” He believed that the development of the private sector should not be limited to building facilities but should encompass training, research, and medical innovation. He indicated that “the private sector is still excluded today from university and scientific research, and this is a mistake.” He advocated creating bridges between the two spheres, enabling private clinics to become places for internships, training, and scientific cooperation.
Moreover, to move beyond piecemeal reforms, Professor Belhadj proposed establishing an independent national body, an observatory under the supervision of the Presidency or the Prime Ministry, tasked with monitoring health governance. He explained that “the Ministry of Health alone cannot manage everything. There needs to be a cross-cutting oversight and evaluation body capable of coordinating between the different sectors.” This body, he suggested, would also control private investments, guarantee care quality, and ensure genuine complementarity between public and private sectors.
He also stressed the importance of real regulation of the private sector, which faces certain abuses, stating that “mechanisms exist, such as the General Inspectorate, Professional Orders, patient associations, but their enforcement remains weak.” Citing cases of public-sector nurses illegally working in private clinics, he lamented that “these practices undermine citizens’ trust.” To improve quality, he proposed introducing new control standards. He also regretted that “60 to 70% of private sector workers come from the public sector. This exhausts our hospitals.”
Thus, he advocated for financial incentive mechanisms allowing public sector doctors to stay in their institutions rather than working illegally in the private sector. The academic warned against the precariousness of hospital staff, stating that “a private doctor earns twice the salary of a colleague in the public sector. You cannot talk about reform without revaluing medical, paramedical, and administrative staff.” Additionally, he emphasized that the reform of the health system is not only about funding but also about culture, ethics, and responsibility, declaring that “access to free care must go hand in hand with respect for the patient, quality of medical acts, and professional integrity.”
In conclusion, Professor Belhadj called for a pragmatic, fair, and humane reform. He maintained that “we must protect healthcare providers as much as patients. Clear laws, rigorous evaluation, but above all sustained political will are needed.” He ensured that “the real treatment is early diagnosis, prevention, and health education. Without these, any reform will remain incomplete.”