Former Algerian Minister of Health and Population, Abedelhamid Aberkane, stated that Algeria is the world's largest "exporter" of sick people who are looking for medical treatment abroad. According to him, these Algerians prefer to avoid local health facilities, reported the July 2 edition of <i>Al-Khabar</i> newspaper.
Aberkane, who was speaking during a seminar held by the Council for Ethics of Medicine Profession in Constantine, added that the capacity of the Algerian hospitals does not surpass at present 50% of the needs. In addition, there is a severe shortage in doctors in the various cities. For instance, in the capital there is one doctor per 318 inhabitants, while in Adrar province there are 2103 inhabitants enjoining the services of one doctor.
