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Children under the age of 18 with cancer now benefit from supervised access and care in the event of radiotherapy, in approved private establishments. This advance was devoted by an executive decree signed by the Prime Minister, Mohamed Nadir Larbaoui, published in Official Journal.
This regulatory text has approved therapeutic management of children with cancer, socially insured or beneficiaries, within the framework of a strict system, by establishing a standard convention linking approved private establishments and social security organizations.
As of its publication, during the first week of the current month of August, the decree set specific conditions so that private clinics can integrate the system, with the aim of guaranteeing access to specialized radiotherapy care, by filling the sometimes too long deadlines in public structures, while ensuring medical follow -up in accordance with the most demanding standards.
In accordance with the procedure established by the legislative text, the legal representative of each establishment is required to file a complete file with the social security organization. This file should include a copy of the opening and operating authorization, a possible authorization to extend activity, as well as a technical sheet detailing the characteristics of the premises and the available radiotherapy equipment. In addition, establishments are forced to report, within a maximum of fifteen days, any change concerning the staff or the devices used.
In addition, the medical supervision was placed at the heart of the system. Each clinic must exercise this activity under the responsibility of a doctor specializing in full -time radiotherapy. In the absence of the latter, a qualified replacement must be appointed and presented to the authorities. The urgent and non -reportable treatments have been made compulsory, with a strict obligation to respect the therapeutic protocol validated by the multidisciplinary consultation meeting of the public hospital in charge of the patient. No change to this protocol can be decided without the formal agreement of this referent team.
The decree also imposes precise deadlines for the reception and management of children. The private establishment must receive the patient and start treatment in the time indicated on the orientation medical sheet. This document, prepared by the public hospital, must mention the nature of the disease, the scheduled start of treatment, the total prescribed dose, the number of sessions provided, as well as the validated protocol.
The administrative procedure has also been designed to simplify the journey of families. Parents will have to submit the medical file prepared by the public hospital directly to the private establishment chosen. The latter will then be responsible for transmitting the request for care via a dedicated digital platform, within the regulatory deadlines. The purpose of this system is to reduce administrative back and forth and accelerate the start of treatment.
In addition to medical acts, the decree allows private establishments to charge certain essential ancillary services, such as accommodation, medical nutrition, or the patient’s transport and the designated support. These services, provided for in Annex IV of the standard convention, will be supported by social security organizations throughout the duration of radiotherapy treatment. The care will continue even if the patient has side effects requiring a temporary return to the hospital.
On the financial level, social security organizations have undertaken to reimburse medical acts according to the prices set in the agreement. This mechanism guarantees the absence of additional costs for families, while ensuring remuneration in accordance with standards for clinics involved. In addition, the agreement linking each establishment to the system was concluded for a period of one year, automatically renewable only once for the same period, from the date of signature. An exceptional extension would remain possible, according to the same procedures, if the patient’s state of health requires it.
It should be noted that this reform represents a significant change in the supply of care against pediatric cancer. By opening access to private radiotherapy, it will relieve pressure on public services, while shortening waiting times for treatments whose effectiveness often depends on the speed of implementation.
As a reminder, as early as October 2024, the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, had ordered the generalization of the free management of children with cancer, placing this cause among the national priorities. The executive decree published during this month of August materialized this orientation by giving a legal and operational framework to this measure. It is part of a global strategy with a view to improving access to specialized care, guaranteeing the quality of treatments and providing families with dignified support, up to human issues that represents the fight against pediatric cancer.