Algiers – The Ministry of Health is set to launch a national digital platform designed to streamline and digitize patient transfers between healthcare facilities across Algeria. Minister of Health, Mohamed Nadir Ait Said, announced the initiative during a parliamentary session in Algiers, highlighting its potential to improve efficiency and transparency in the referral process.
The new platform aims to modernize the handling of transfer requests, particularly for patients from the southern and highland regions of the country. The Minister emphasized that medical transfers are subject to established procedures, ensuring that requests are reviewed promptly. Urgent cases will receive a response within 48 hours, with transfers limited to situations where necessary care is unavailable locally.
Addressing the issue of air transport for patients, Ait Said stated that coordination between Civil Protection, Air Algerie, and the Air Force ensures safe and timely transfers, especially in emergency situations. He cited the recent evacuation of injured passengers from a bus accident in Beni Abbes as an example of this effective collaboration.
The Ministry is also developing a national program dedicated to organizing and supporting air medical transport. This program includes establishing patient collection points in southern provinces to facilitate transfers to referral hospitals in the north or south, such as the hospitals in Tamanrasset and Touggourt. A cooperation agreement between the Ministries of Health and Transportation will be activated, with training sessions planned for medical personnel in the field of medical transport.
In a related announcement, the Minister of Health affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to improving cancer care. This includes opening specialized chemotherapy departments in various healthcare facilities, establishing regional oncology centers, and integrating radiotherapy units into new hospitals to ensure patients receive timely and effective treatment closer to home.
