Your questions, our answers

Nothing if you are affiliated with CNAS or CASNOS. The clinic is approved (conventionnée): your haemodialysis sessions are fully covered through direct billing (tiers-payant) — you pay nothing upfront. Our administrative team prepares your file with you (Chifa card + CNAS or CASNOS certificate). If anything is holding it up, we tell you straight away and guide you through the process.

Yes. We are happy to welcome a companion, especially for the first sessions. A dedicated waiting room is available to them (coffee and tea served).

A haemodialysis session lasts about 4 hours. The exact duration is determined by your nephrologist according to your needs. You can read, watch television or rest during the session.

Most patients come 3 times a week. Your doctor adjusts the frequency to your clinical situation.

Needling the fistula (the vascular access created in the arm) may cause discomfort comparable to a blood test. Our nurses are trained to keep it to a minimum. Once the session has started, it is painless.

A nephrologist is present on site for the entire duration of the sessions — this is not a telephone on-call arrangement, it is an actual physical presence. Our nursing team is trained in emergency protocols and intervenes immediately in the event of a drop in blood pressure or faintness.

Yes, in most cases. We arrange your time slots (morning, daytime or evening) so they fit around your schedule. Many of our patients continue their working or family life.

Yes. We recommend a light meal 2 hours before coming in, and coffee is served during the session.

Call us or send a WhatsApp message. Our team offers you an appointment with a nephrologist within 24 to 48 hours (working days). We can also arrange a no-obligation introductory visit to the centre.

Contact us with your most recent laboratory results (full blood count + biochemistry), your serology (HBV, HCV, HIV) and your dialysis prescription. Our nephrologist gets in touch with your treating doctor to ensure continuity of care, without any interruption.

Yes. The clinic is approved with CNAS (Caisse Nationale des Assurances Sociales des travailleurs salariés) and CASNOS (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale des Non-Salariés). Bring your Chifa card and your medical file to your first appointment.

Yes. We welcome visiting patients (both residents in Algeria and members of the diaspora). Your slot is confirmed within 72 working hours. Contact us as soon as possible with your most recent laboratory results (full blood count + biochemistry), your serology (HBV, HCV, HIV) and your dialysis prescription. See the dedicated "Visiting patients" page.

Yes. During Ramadan, we open a single series of slots with a first session at 4 a.m. No session after f'tour, no night-time slot. Rescheduling is agreed together with your nephrologist. See the "Ramadan & dialysis" page.

Yes. The clinic has access ramps for wheelchairs, reserved parking spaces near the entrance, and direct access for ambulances. Our staff can assist you if needed.

It is completely normal to feel apprehensive; almost all our patients feel this way the first time. Here is what to expect: on arrival, the nurse welcomes you, checks your weight and blood pressure, then settles you comfortably into a reclining chair with a blanket. Inserting the needles takes 2 to 3 minutes, and we explain each step. You are then connected to the machine for about 4 hours. Throughout the session, a nurse comes by every 15 minutes, and a nephrologist is present in the unit. You can read, sleep or look at your phone. Coffee is served to you. At the end of the session, the needles are removed, we check that all is well, and you leave. You are never alone.

We prefer to be honest: the needling is unpleasant, but it lasts barely 10 seconds. It is not a sharp pain, more a strong sensation that quickly passes. If you have a fistula (AVF), an anaesthetic cream can be applied an hour before the session to make the needling almost painless. If you have a central catheter, there is no needling at all, just a connection. Most of our patients tell us that after 3 or 4 sessions the apprehension fades and the procedure becomes routine. Our nurses are trained in gentle needling — if a needle hurts you, say so immediately and we adjust.

Yes, this is possible subject to availability, and we do everything we can to leave no one without a session. Contact us immediately by WhatsApp on the centre's number, even in the evening or at the weekend. If possible, have ready: your most recent dialysis report (dry weight, session time, treatment), your recent serology (hepatitis B/C, HIV), your current prescription, and a piece of identification. If we are full at the time you want, we offer you another slot during the week or refer you to a partner centre. Never skip a session — call us and we will find a solution.

The standard is that serology (hepatitis B, C and HIV) must be less than 3 months old to be dialysed at a centre. At 4 months it is no longer accepted; this is a strict health rule to protect every patient in the unit. Don't worry: we work with a partner laboratory in Sidi Bel Abbès that can repeat the tests quickly. The blood draw takes 10 minutes and the results come back within 24 to 48 hours. We advise you to have the blood test as soon as you arrive in Algeria, even before your first scheduled session.

We understand how reassuring the presence of a loved one is, especially the first few times. They cannot stay continuously in the dialysis room for reasons of hygiene and the privacy of other patients, but they have a dedicated waiting room with comfortable seating and a water point. They can come to see you briefly during the session, generally 2 to 3 times, subject to the nurse's agreement. You keep your phone within reach, so you can message them at any time. For your very first session, we are more flexible and allow a slightly longer visit while you are being settled in.

Yes. We strictly apply Algerian Law 18-07 on the protection of personal data. Your medical file is kept securely, accessible only to the care team looking after you: nephrologist, nurses and authorised administrative staff. No data is passed on to a third party (employer, private insurer, extended family) without your written consent. At any time you can request a copy of your file, correct any erroneous information, or ask for the deletion of data that is not medically necessary. For diaspora patients, we send your stay report to your nephrologist in France by secure email, solely at your request.