Algerian authorities confirmed that President Abdelmadjid Tebboune will soon return to Germany for medical treatment.
The 75-year-old leader returned to Algiers only last week after about two months abroad receiving treatment for Covid-19. Tebboune’s prolonged absence has fueled speculation about his condition and the political situation in the North African country, which was roiled by protests for much of 2019.
Tebboune will receive care for a foot injury or undergo minor surgery, Algerian media reported citing official sources. The treatment was initially postponed so he could attend to government business, including the signing of Algeria’s budget legislation.
“There is no reason for concern, as the president has had intense activities since his return, and the evidence is that the treatment provided was postponed because the case is not medically urgent,” a reliable source told Algerian media.
A public hospital medic, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, said that Tebboune’s habit of heavy smoking likely triggered a case of deep vein thrombosis in his leg.
As for why Tebboune had spent some 60 days abroad getting treated for the coronavirus, which is much longer than the average period for treating Covid-19 infections, the physician said that it was probably due to complications in the president’s lungs.
Since the leader’s return to the country on December 29, Algerian media have always shown Tebboune sitting on an armchair, raising questions about his state of health.
More so, the long absence of the head of state, who also serves the North African nation’s defense chief, recalled the lengthy periods during which his predecessor did not appear in public.
