| Following her independence in 1962, Algeria was faced with the reorganization of her medical system, which was left in chaos after 7 years of conflict. Various organizations contributed medical aid, among them the Comite Chretien de Service en Algerie (CCSA), a committee established in 1962 to coordinate aid given to the country by the world's Protestant churches. The CCSA began by providing people in badly affected areas with food, clothing, and medicines, and later expanded its contribution to include rural aid, social, and medical services. It introduced a "clinomobile" (later bought by the Algerians)for food distribution in isolated areas, and helped equip the Centre d'Enseignement Para-Medical, an institute for the training of nurses, rural midwives, laboratory and X-ray assistants, and sanitary inspectors. Through these newly trained personnel, the centre hopes to provide rural areas with sanitary education, a higher level of hygiene, and protection from epidemics. |