Rabat – Morocco’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection signed agreements amounting to MAD 1.7 billion ($155.9 million) with five university hospital centers on Wednesday in Rabat, aiming to improve buildings and to stimulate renovations.
The concerned hospitals were Ibn Sina in Rabat, Ibn Rochd in Casablanca, Hassan II in Fez, and Mohamed VI in Marrakech and Oujda.
Minister of Health and Social Protection Khalid Ait Taleb, emphasized the timeliness of the agreements, adding that some hospitals have become “ancient” with “obsolete” equipment.
The health ministry’s partnership with the hospitals is envisioned to be a two-year project, aiming to facilitate access to health care services and to upgrade the overall quality of healthcare institutions.
The initiative comes following instructions from King Mohammed VI for a total reform of the Moroccan health system.
The agreements fall within the project to expand social protection nets, which has been repeatedly emphasized by the king in his speeches over the past few years.
To reduce unnecessary costs for patients, the health system reform will see the implementation of an obligatory care circuit, where patients will visit first aid hospitals and general practitioners before being referred to other doctors.
In response, the directors of the five university hospitals communicated their will to support the national health sector, and expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity to update their institutions’ equipment.
