Marrakech – Morocco on Friday officially launched the Regional Specialty Hospital Center in Tetouan. The MAD 805.26 million ($80.5 million) facility is designed to serve over 1.5 million residents across the northern province and surrounding areas.
Health Minister Amine Tehraoui inaugurated the hospital in the presence of Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Wali Younes Tazi, Tetouan Governor Abderrazzak Mansouri, and the region’s Territorial Health Group (GST) Director General Mohammed Akouri, along with several elected officials.
The launch is part of Morocco’s national program for the rehabilitation and equipping of public health infrastructure, carried out in line with royal directives aimed at reforming the national health system and advancing universal social protection and health coverage.
The government is completing 15 hospital projects nationwide in 2026, adding roughly 3,000 beds as part of a broader reform centered on GSTs.
The government is also pursuing the construction of six university hospital centers (CHUs), mobilizing an investment of MAD 20.6 billion ($2.06 billion) for a combined capacity of 3,807 beds. The CHUs of Laayoune and Rabat are set to become operational this year.
Built on 3.27 hectares with 32,300 square meters of covered space, the Tetouan hospital has a total capacity of 380 beds – 150 for general medicine and 180 for surgery. It also features a 10-bed surgical day hospital and a 10-bed general medicine day hospital, along with rehabilitation, functional exploration, and biological sampling services.
The medico-technical platform includes an 11-room operating block, a 15-bed intensive care unit, and a 15-bed emergency department.
It also houses medical imaging, a laboratory, a sterilization unit, and an automated pharmacy equipped with a robot for secure medication dispensing. An integrated information system supports patient pathway management and service coordination across the facility.
Specialties range from general surgery, neurosurgery, and pediatric surgery to orthopedic and trauma surgery, anesthesia-intensive care, and internal medicine. The hospital also covers cardiology, pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, hemodialysis, advanced diagnostics, specialized nursing, and social support services.
More than 400 professionals – medical, nursing, technical, and administrative staff – have been deployed for the launch. The mobilization aims to ensure integrated care delivery, improve patient reception and orientation, and provide healthcare workers with a modern and structured environment.
Tehraoui described the center as a reference health infrastructure intended to strengthen regional healthcare delivery within the GST framework. He noted it offers a broad spectrum of specialized medical and surgical services through modern facilities and last-generation technical equipment, calling it an important lever for promoting territorial equity and expanding access to specialized care.
Amal Khalid, director of the Tetouan health district, confirmed the facility was built to international standards with high-quality equipment. Khalid indicated that patients will be transferred progressively from the existing Saniat R’mel Hospital to ensure patient safety and optimal conditions for staff.
The hospital is expected to ease pressure on other regional facilities and bring specialized care closer to communities across the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region.
Its launch comes as Morocco accelerates its reform agenda, with 500 new health centers also programmed for 2026 as part of a MAD 6 billion ($600 million) effort to rehabilitate 1,600 primary care facilities nationwide.
Morocco’s 2026 budget allocates MAD 140 billion ($14 billion) to health and education, marking a 16% increase from 2025.
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