A video posted by an Algerian nurse on the TikTok app sparked widespread condemnation in the country after she was seen filming herself while preparing the body of a deceased person inside a hospital. This behavior was considered “inhumane” and contrary to the professional values and noble mission of the healthcare sector.

In an official statement, the Ministry of Health expressed strong condemnation of what it described as “actions far from religious and human values, and contrary to the fundamental principles of the nursing profession.” The ministry confirmed it is taking all necessary legal measures against the nurse, including judicial procedures, emphasizing its full commitment to respecting the sanctity of the dead and strictly adhering to professional ethics, pledging zero tolerance for any violation that harms the reputation of the health sector.

Meanwhile, the Specialized Hospital Institution Salim Zemirli in El Harrach, where the nurse works, issued a statement strongly condemning the incident.

The statement read: “Following the unfortunate incident that occurred in the intensive care unit, where a nurse violated the sanctity of a deceased by filming them inside the unit and publishing the video on social media, the hospital administration strongly condemns this unethical behavior that violates the norms and laws regulating the nursing profession, constituting a serious violation of the patient’s dignity and rights even after death.”

The incident sparked anger among citizens, many of whom saw it as reflecting a decline in professional discipline and reopening the debate about respecting the sanctity of the dead in some healthcare institutions.

This was not the first incident of its kind but part of a series of previous violations that similarly shocked the public. In 2018, a video circulated showing female employees dancing to music inside a morgue without regard for the sanctity of the dead, causing significant controversy.

An official report issued in 2017 also revealed serious violations in corpse preservation in several hospitals, including neglecting bodies for long periods, presence of unidentified corpses, and selling burial shrouds at high prices reaching 7,000 Algerian dinars.