CNDH Calls for Better Governance of Healthcare Sector

Rabat – The National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) has released a report detailing the state of healthcare in Morocco, and calling on authorities to govern the sector better.

The report, “The Practicality of Healthcare as a Right in Morocco: Challenges, Stakes, and Room for Improvement” outlines the challenges facing the sector and lays out suggestions for improvements in the future.

Among the biggest concerns in the sector is  the cost that Moroccan families have to bear when seeking treatment, with 50 to 63% of the costs usually falling on the shoulders of patients, the report said.

“The council stresses that healthcare must be dealt with as an investment for the nation’s security and prosperity,” the report, released on Friday said.

Considering the amount of working-class families that need to access healthcare, the cost can be seen as an obstacle to many of them, the report added. The CNDH recommended that this cost be cut in half by 2030, with future plans to cut it to 25% of the current costs.

Another concern was the brain drain the Morocco’s medical sector is experiencing. The report details that in contrast with 23,000 doctors working in Morocco, up to 14,000 have left the country to work abroad.

Read also: Study: Brain Drain Remains Pressing Challenge for Morocco’s Medical sector

With staff shortages and overwork being one of the key issues facing hospitals in Morocco, the apparent appeal of going abroad for doctors is a concerning trend for the CNDH.

The report also criticizes the inequity of human resource distribution around the country, as some areas – particularly rural ones – suffer from shortages more than others.

The report stresses the importance of making Morocco a more desirable place for aspiring medical professionals to train and work. Government programs that aimed to increase the number of trained medical professionals have failed to achieve their goals, the council said.

The report called for the prioritization of socio-economic equality in the sector going forward, and to make sure to improve other living conditions to minimize the need for corrective medical care.