Key facts
- Two resident doctors in Algeria have died, sparking outrage over working conditions.
- Colleagues attribute the deaths to exhaustion, overwork, and understaffing in public hospitals.
- The health ministry denied one doctor was on an overnight shift at the time of her death.
- The National Union of General Public Health Practitioners is demanding a comprehensive review of the on-call shift system.
- Algeria has a doctor-to-population ratio of 17 per 10,000, lower than some African countries and significantly lower than France.
- Algeria is the largest single source of foreign-qualified doctors practising in France.
Two resident doctors in Algeria have died in close succession, sparking widespread outcry and reigniting a long-standing dispute over chronic overwork, understaffing, and inadequate conditions within the country's public hospitals. Colleagues have attributed the deaths to exhaustion and intense professional pressure, with one doctor's death following a 24-hour on-call shift and another's occurring while on duty.
The Algerian health ministry's denial that one of the deceased doctors was on an overnight shift at the time of her death drew further condemnation from the medical community, who accused the authorities of sidestepping the core issue of accumulated professional stress.
The National Union of General Public Health Practitioners has issued statements demanding an immediate and serious response to what it described as a "human haemorrhage" and called for a comprehensive review of the on-call shift system. The union argues that years of policies neglecting healthcare staff working conditions have created a hazardous environment.
These incidents are not isolated, with similar deaths and subsequent protests occurring in recent months. Doctors previously staged a major strike in 2018 over pay, working hours, and mandatory postings to under-resourced areas. Reports indicate some doctors perform up to 10 on-call shifts monthly but are paid for only six, with salaries considered disproportionate to their responsibilities and training.
Authorities have responded to recent protests with arrests. Charaf Eddine Talhaoui, a leader of the Tlemcen Medical School resident doctors' association, was arrested in January 2025 for participating in a protest movement and convicted of spreading fake news and undermining public order, receiving a reduced sentence on appeal.
Medical representatives are advocating for a revision of a 2013 executive decree regulating on-call duty, seeking increased allowances and a legal cap on shift lengths. The union also proposes a minimum monthly salary of 140,000 Algerian dinars for doctors.
Geographical disparities exacerbate the problem, with specialist doctors and equipment concentrated in urban centers, leaving inland provinces severely underserved. Diagnostic machines frequently break down, with lengthy administrative processes delaying repairs or replacements.
Despite President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's claim that Algeria possesses Africa's best health system, World Health Organization data shows Algeria has 17 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants, a ratio higher than some large African nations but lower than Mauritius and Seychelles, and significantly below France's 40 per 10,000.
This disparity is partly due to emigration, with Algeria being the largest source of foreign-qualified doctors practising in France. While the transition is facilitated by historical and linguistic ties, Algerian physicians face a challenging recognition process, earning significantly less than their French counterparts. Emigration is also driven by limited professional development, hospital overcrowding, and an increase in assaults on medical staff in Algeria.