An agreement in principle was concluded between the Ministry of Health in 2013 and the European Cancer Centers (ECC) for a hospital project specializing in oncology in the region of El Khbayet in El Hamma in Le Gouvenurat de Gabès. However, the Ministry of Health would have changed notice under the Jomaa government, canceling the agreement. An showdown and accusations have been linked between the ministry and the center in question.
An offshore project of a canceropole
A large controversy has settled around a project, the offshore cancer, intended for a foreign clientele that foreign investors, “European Cancer Centers”, wish to set up in the El Khbayet region in El Hamma (Gabès).
As part of a Tunisian-European partnership, “European Cancer Centers” wants to implement “the largest cancer of the African continent” with the objectives displayed “to fill the deficit in the supply of care in cancer in the sub-region and to develop medical tourism in Tunisia by combining Tunisian and European skills”. With an investment of 25 million euros, the creation of this cancer center, the opening of which was scheduled for the first half of 2017, has still not been launched.
The European Cancer Center accuses the new Minister of Health of Nepotism and Corruption
“European Cancer Centers” speaks of blocking at the level of the Ministry of Health, that of the Jomaa government, while this same ministry had signed an agreement in principle for the establishment of this center dedicated to creating 300 high -added jobs.
“We leave you free to make a link between the decision of the Minister of Public Health, Mr. Mohamed Salah Ben Ammar, and his personal and financial interests in a multidisciplinary private medical project, which he could perceive as a competitor, which would constitute a proven case of nepotism,” reads an open letter from the ECC to the head of government Mr. Jomaâ.
Indeed, on December 11, 2013, the Minister of Health at the time, Abdeltif Mekki, had signed this agreement in principle. Nine months later, on September 17, 2014, “European Cancer Centers” addressed, in an open letter to the head of government Mehdi Jomaa to denounce “personal interests which blocked and flouted the democratic process” in Tunisia, notifying Mr. Jomaâ from the refusal of the Higher Projects Commission.
According to the investor, “this decision, which is not motivated by any argument, is the consequence of the veto of the Minister of Public Health, Mohamed Salah Ben Ammar, the only member of the Higher Commission of the major projects to oppose the project”.
The project in question was presented to Mehdi Jomaâ at a meeting of the Higher Commission of major projects dated August 22, 2014. In addition to the open letter to Mr. Jomaa, the Center published, on September 17, a press release in which he affirmed that there was “refusal of the project” of the Higher Project Commission, for the “personal” reason of the new Minister of Health. “The personal decision of the Minister of Public Health, which is not motivated by any admissible and objective argument, will therefore deprive Tunisia of a project which brings multiple advantages in terms of public health, economic development and social development to the Tunisian people”.
“Will lobbies and corruption at the highest level manage to block foreign investments with economic and human development for the Tunisian people?” wonders the ECC, referring to corruption in the ministry.
“The case is the responsibility of the government’s presidency”, according to the Ministry of Health
Two days after the ECC press release, the ministry retaliated to the accusations on September 19: “Following assertions from a group of European promoters wishing to create a private cancer hospital in the south of the country, reported by certain electronic press sites, the Ministry of Health deplores the false and unfounded accusations peddled on this subject in reaction to its circumspect. attitude dictated by the sole concern to preserve the interest of the country. ”
In addition, when we contacted the Ministry of Health, for more details, the press attaché Chokri Nafti told us that this “case is the responsibility of the government’s presidency” although the ministry has already taken a stand; “This project is still at the study stage and that no refusal has been notified so far”, thereby denying the center.
