Algerian authorities have blocked the authentication of diplomas for physicians for nearly a year, attempting to curb the mass exodus of medical professionals from the country.
The Minister of Higher Education, Kamel Baddari, formally approved this proposal on July 13 in answer to an inquiry from MP Abdelouahab Yagoubi on the length of this limit.
Baddari defended the freeze by claiming that it was a short-term step towards finding a way to deter physicians from leaving the country. He did admit, though, that international recruiters get around the problem by using Algerian or their own nations’ embassies, so this strategy hasn’t stopped physicians from leaving.
Legal experts and unions have criticised this judgement. The National Union of Doctors voiced concern in September 2023 and asked for a discussion on this legislation, which they believed to be unjust because it exclusively targeted graduates in dentistry, pharmacy, and medicine.
The National Union of Public Health Practitioners’ president, Lyes Merabet, said that allowing Algerian physicians to relocate overseas and pursue further education would only fuel tensions.
Due to greater pay and career prospects, a large number of Algerian physicians have chosen to go to France, North America, and the Gulf region in spite of these limitations. An industry insider called this action “absurd bureaucratic obstinacy,” and businessman Nabil Mellah, who was imprisoned for voicing his ideas, agreed.
Source : Le Monde
