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Following the assault on pharmacists at their workplace, in a pharmacy in Bab Ezzouar, Algiers, whose violent images shocked public opinion, the Union of Community Pharmacists is calling for strict application of existing laws for their protection. This was stated on Saturday by the Young IndependentKarim Merghemi, president of Snapo.
Faced with the increase in attacks on pharmacies, reported almost daily according to Mr. Merghemi, the latter calls on the authorities to take concrete and immediate measures to protect health professionals and prevent future attacks in order to guarantee the continuity of the essential services they provide.
The president of Snapo also expressed deep concern following the “violent and barbaric attack” that occurred a few days ago in Bab Ezzouar, in the wilaya of Algiers. He noted that “a pharmacist and his employees were attacked with knives and swords, an act that seriously injured several staff members, including an employee who is still in intensive care and who risks losing his hand after being struck with a sword by one of the criminal attackers.”
He added that this attack represents not only “an unacceptable act of violence, but also a direct threat to the safety of health professionals who provide vital services to society.”
Reiterating the urgent need to establish enhanced protection for pharmacists, he also stressed the need for rigorous enforcement of the laws in force, including that promulgated by President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune. According to the presidential ordinance amending and supplementing the penal code, the new provisions provide in particular for “the criminal protection of all staff of public and private health institutions against verbal and physical aggression and the repression of acts of destruction of movable and immovable property of health institutions and acts of attack on the dignity of patients and the respect due to deceased persons, through social networks.”
The pharmacists’ representative, however, said he was sorry to note that in practice, on the ground, “it seems that this protection has been mainly applied to public establishments and not to private establishments such as pharmacies.” He continued: “This situation is worrying because the law is supposed to offer uniform protection to all health establishments, without distinction.”
Faced with this reality observed on the ground, Mr. Merghemi launched an appeal to the Ministry of Justice to “carefully examine the cases of attacks against pharmacies in order to clarify the legal framework for the application of the law against these attacks.”
The Snapo president also cited Law 05-23 on the prevention of drugs and psychotropic substances and the repression of their illegal use and trade. He stated that this law provides for severe penalties for attacks targeting health professionals, whether doctors or pharmacists, with the aim of obtaining illegal substances. However, he noted that “the application of this decree remains insufficient and requires more effective measures to protect pharmacy workers from such attacks.”
Furthermore, Dr. Merghemi insisted, on behalf of the union, on the need to facilitate the obtaining of licenses for the installation of surveillance cameras and alarms in pharmacies.
He explained that these devices are essential to strengthen security, detect criminals and facilitate collaboration with law enforcement. He deplored the administrative obstacles that sometimes hinder this procedure and called on the Ministry of the Interior to issue clear instructions to simplify the process.
The president of Snapo also proposed the establishment of an emergency line, a toll-free number, specifically for pharmacies, in order to allow rapid contact with the nearest security services in the event of a threat. This measure aims to ensure a rapid and effective response from the authorities to prevent criminal acts.
Furthermore, in the face of the increasing number of attacks on pharmacies, the President of Snapo announced that detailed proposals for practical implementation on the ground will soon be submitted to the relevant authorities, including the Ministries of Health, Interior and Justice. These proposals aim to strengthen the protection of pharmacies against daily attacks and to ensure that health professionals can practice their profession in complete safety.