They call themselves the médecins du Mahjer—the doctors of the diaspora. For decades, the flow of medical talent has largely been outward, with approximately 15,000 Algerian-trained physicians currently serving in the French healthcare system. However, during this symposium at the University of Blida 1, the direction of that energy shifted. These specialists returned to offer their expertise not for the young or the acutely ill, but for the elderly who remain in the family homes of the Mitidja Plain and beyond.
The urgency of their meeting is written in the census data. In the years following independence in 1962, the struggle was to ensure children survived to adulthood; today, the challenge is the quiet success of longevity. With life expectancy now reaching beyond 76 years, the traditional reliance on the Dar El Ajaza—the few state-run nursing homes—and the unspoken duty of adult children is no longer a sufficient medical strategy. The specialists gathered in Blida are calling for a national plan that treats aging not as a social inevitability, but as a clinical specialty.
In the hospital corridors, one could see the practical intersection of this new care: a physician from a Parisian ward explaining the nuances of chronic pathology to a local resident, their hands hovering over a Chifa biometric card. This small green card, once a simple tool for social security reimbursements, is becoming the anchor for a more complex medical history as older adults manage multiple conditions over many years.
The transition toward a formal médecine de la vieillesse represents a profound shift in the Algerian social contract. By advocating for a dedicated residency track and specialized geriatric wards, these doctors are ensuring that the elders who built the modern nation are not left to the haphazard care of general practitioners. It is a moment where professional expertise and filial piety converge, transforming a private family obligation into a public medical standard.