Algeria: Healthcare workers migrate to private sector for wages 10 times higher than public sector

Professor Rachid Belhadj, director of medical and paramedical activities at Mustapha Pacha University Hospital, confirmed on Friday that the migration of healthcare workers to the private sector is explained by the fact that private healthcare facilities offer wages ten times higher than the public sector.

During his interview with Radio Setif, Belhadj confirmed that the low wages of the sector’s professionals negatively affected the effective functioning of the public healthcare system, prompting doctors to resort to the private sector or to work abroad.

He stated that there is a strong will among the health officials in the country to improve the healthcare system, stressing that it has become necessary to improve the conditions of the sector’s workers. Belhadj called for a comprehensive revision of hospital management and supervision, along with the wages policy.

Professor Belhadj said on Monday that it is not possible to re-open the borders to full capacity in order to control the epidemiological situation.

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This came in statements issued by Belhadj, who also chairs the National Syndicate of University Professors and Researchers, during his interview on Dhaif Al Sabah.

He commented on the decision to re-open the borders, stating: “Currently, the country’s airspace cannot be opened completely, and the partial lift decision was correct, especially since the coronavirus is still propagating in Algeria and everyone knows the way it entered our homeland.”

The director of medical and paramedical activities at Mustapha Pacha University Hospital also revealed: “The movement of travellers will be maintained dually according to a strict health protocol that will be imposed on both Algerians and foreigners coming from abroad,” stressing that people coming from different regions of the world to Algeria will be required to take a PCR test.

On the other hand, Belhadj indicated: “The transmission of the virus on planes is less severe compared to other means of transportation and is the best prevention method in terms of health security, because planes have air conditioners equipped with filters and are sterilised automatically before and after flights, which contributes to reducing the transmission of infection.” He added: “In a plane, the number of passengers and the duration of the flight are both fixed, which means that it is safer compared to a ship.”

According to Belhadj, the decision to open the borders is good news since the number of coronavirus infections is decreasing, and the vaccination campaign has been successful. This prompted the authorities to move towards the gradual opening of airspace and land borders.

He stressed: “This is a humanitarian, planned and studied decision with the approval of the Scientific Committee,” while calling on citizens, especially those coming from abroad, to be careful and to respect prevention measures.

The professor explained that by next November, the coronavirus crisis would enter its second year, quoting scientific studies that say that viruses start to abate after two years of emergence.

On Sunday evening, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune ordered a partial re-opening of air, sea and land borders, starting on 1 June.

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