Algeria's Ministry of Health (وزارة الصحة) announced a new development package for Adrar province (ولاية أدرار) following a working and inspection visit by Minister of Health Professor Mohamed Seddik Ait Mesoudan (البروفيسور محمد صديق آيت مسعودان). This significant visit, described as "part of the working and inspection visit carried out by the Minister of Health, Professor Mohamed Seddik Ait Mesoudan, to Adrar province," resulted in a series of decisions aimed at strengthening health structures, reinforcing medical equipment, and accelerating the digitization of hospital institutions. Professor Ait Mesoudan stated these measures contribute to "improving patient care and bringing specialized health services closer to citizens." He added that the Ministry will continue "to support the southern provinces with specialized health hubs, contributing to improving the quality of health services, enhancing equity in access to treatment, and bringing specialized medical services closer to citizens." The full nature of these decisions, stemming from the Minister's on-site assessment, is expected to significantly enhance healthcare provision across the province.
Infrastructure and Equipment Upgrades
The Ministry of Health emphasized the completion of ongoing health projects and the acceleration of work on them, alongside the implementation of necessary technical and organizational measures to ensure their prompt operationalization. This directive shows the commitment to "completing ongoing health projects and speeding up their work, with the necessary technical and organizational measures to ensure their entry into service as soon as possible." A new 120-bed hospital project in the municipality of Reggane is slated for inclusion in the draft finance law for 2027. This initiative forms part of the preparatory work for the upcoming financial legislation, specifically "programming the project to build a new hospital with a capacity of 120 beds in the municipality of Reggane as part of the preparatory work for the draft finance law for 2027."
In further equipment enhancements, an MRI machine is planned for acquisition for the 240-bed mixed hospital, also under consideration for the 2027 finance law. This acquisition is explicitly "acquiring an MRI machine for the 240-bed mixed hospital as part of the preparations for the finance law for 2027." Additionally, a scanner will be procured for the emergency department at Ibn Sina Public Hospital. This acquisition aims to bolster diagnostic capabilities and enhance the speed with which emergency cases are managed, directly addressing the goal of "acquiring a scanner for the emergency department at Ibn Sina Public Hospital, aiming to enhance diagnostic capabilities and improve the speed of handling emergency cases."
The interventional cardiology department, which includes a cardiac catheterization unit at the 240-bed mixed hospital, is set to become operational soon. Its launch is contingent on the completion of its equipping process in accordance with approved medical standards, ensuring the department, including the catheterization unit, is "put into service as soon as possible after its completion and equipping according to approved medical standards." Furthermore, the kidney disease and dialysis activities at the 240-bed mixed hospital will undergo reorganization. Preparations are also underway to initiate a kidney transplant program in the near future, reflecting the goal of "reorganizing kidney disease and dialysis activity at the 240-bed mixed hospital, and beginning preparations to launch a kidney transplant program in the near future."
Digitization and Specialized Services
Minister of Health Professor Mohamed Seddik Ait Mesoudan (البروفيسور محمد صديق آيت مسعودان) issued instructions to connect Zouitina Hospital (مستشفى زاوية كنتة) to the fiber optic network, integrating it into the Ministry of Health's (وزارة الصحة) various digital platforms. This directive means the minister "gave instructions to connect Zouitina hospital to the fiber optic network and integrate it into the sector's various digital platforms." Digitization efforts at the 240-bed mixed hospital will also be enhanced through the development of an electronic medical record platform. Specialized technical teams will be dispatched to support and train local IT competencies in this area, thereby "enhancing digitization at the 240-bed mixed hospital by developing the electronic medical record platform and sending specialized technical teams to support and train local IT competencies."
Professor Ait Mesoudan additionally ordered the immediate care for a patient requiring a pacemaker, arranging for their transfer to the capital (العاصمة) to ensure prompt and necessary treatment. This demonstrates the Minister "ordered the immediate care of a patient whose health condition requires the implantation of a pacemaker, by transferring them to the capital to ensure they receive the necessary treatment as quickly as possible." Furthermore, a partnership and support program will be launched with Mustapha Pasha University Hospital Center (المركز الاستشفائي الجامعي مصطفى باشا). This program aims to ensure the effective initiation of cardiac catheterization activity by deploying specialized medical teams and training local personnel to sustain the service, specifically "launching a partnership and support program with Mustapha Pasha University Hospital Center to ensure the actual start of cardiac catheterization activity, by sending specialized medical teams and undertaking the training of local competencies to ensure the sustainability of this activity."
The Ministry is also focusing on supporting specialized medical fields and preparing to introduce nuclear medicine activity. This initiative forms part of the future vision for developing specialized health services within Adrar Province (ولاية أدرار), indicating a commitment to "supporting specialized medical fields and preparing to include nuclear medicine activity within the future vision for developing specialized health services in the province."
Restructuring and Human Resources
The Ministry of Health announced a readjustment of the distribution of health human resources, aligning personnel with the specific needs of health institutions. This initiative includes opening new specializations in medical training tailored for the southern provinces, effectively "readjusting the distribution of health human resources according to the needs of health institutions, and opening new specializations in the field of specialized medical training for the southern provinces." Additionally, the medical, paramedical, and administrative staff from the 120-bed Public Hospital will be transferred to the 240-bed mixed hospital, a move intended to prepare for the rehabilitation of the former institution. This involves "transferring the medical, paramedical, and administrative staff of the 120-bed Public Hospital to the 240-bed mixed hospital, in preparation for the rehabilitation of the institution." Following this transfer, the 120-bed Public Hospital will be transformed into a specialized facility for mother and child care, as part of a broader plan to reorganize Adrar province's health map. This transformation aligns with the objective of "transforming the 120-bed Public Hospital into a specialized hospital for mother and child care within the plan to reorganize the health map in Adrar province." The Directorate of Health and Population of Adrar province has been tasked, under the Ministry's supervision and support, to prepare and implement the organizational plan for transferring health activities, ensuring continuous service provision for citizens. This key task involves "tasking the Directorate of Health and Population of Adrar province, under the supervision and support of the Ministry's departments, to prepare and implement the organizational plan for the transfer of health activities, ensuring the continuity of health services to citizens without interruption."
