Rabat – Moroccan healthcare is currently in a state of turmoil, with professionals across various sectors expressing discontent and frustration over working conditions, recognition, and compensation.
The unrest has now extended to medical students, who have boycotted final exams at the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy across Morocco, amplifying their demands for a clearer and more secure future.
An overwhelming 97% of medical students and 91% of pharmacy students voted in favor of the boycott of exams, as well as an open strike that encompasses theoretical and practical classes, as well as hospital training, according to the National Committee for Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy Students in Morocco.
“Having exhausted all avenues for dialogue and faced with the stubbornness of authorities in prolonged and seemingly empty discussions, we directly hold the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education responsible for the escalating discontent among students and the general public,” the committee said in a statement.
The students’ demands, communicated through various channels including local sit-ins, strikes, and a recent nationwide protest, include objections to reducing the medical education period from seven to six years without accompanying measures.
In February 2022, Morocco’s Minister of Higher Education Abdellatif Miraoui announced the government’s decision to reduce the duration of medical training to six years.
The government said that the decision is part of its plan to meet the objectives of Morocco’s New Development Model and the national project to extend health insurance (AMO) to every Moroccan. However, the move was widely criticized by medical students who argued that the move would affect the quality of education and training.
Medical students also demanded clarity regarding the third cycle and raised concerns about their exclusion from decision-making.
Crowded classes, insufficient compensation
They also criticized the increasing number of medical students and inadequate educational infrastructure in the Moroccan health sector, reflecting concerns about overcrowding, the quality of education, the ability to provide effective training, and the overall readiness of the healthcare system to meet the demands of a growing student population.
In addition, they complained about insufficient compensation for training, causing financial strain and making it challenging for them to cover their educational expenses during training periods.
A 2022 report by Morocco’s National Commission of Students in Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy revealed the difficult socio-economic conditions of medical students in Morocco due to the lack of sufficient financial aid.
The survey found that 92% of Moroccan medical students depend on their families’ financial support to finish their studies, with 58% saying they changed their eating habits after enrolling in medical school due to financial constraints.
Medical students in Morocco receive a scholarship of MAD 630 ($62) per month, while resident doctors receive MAD 2,000 ($199) per month.
Despite holding intensive discussions with the Ministry of Higher Education and the Ministry of Health, Moroccan medical students said they have not received concrete solutions or responses to their demands. They thus decided to reject what they labeled as “empty promises” from the two ministries and insist on tangible actions.
“We call upon the government and the overseeing ministries to urgently address our just demands,” added the National Committee for Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy Students, stressing “the frustration of the future doctors, pharmacists, and dentists of Morocco.”
Nurses, technicians insist on fair treatment
The healthcare sector’s unrest is not confined to the student body. Professionals, including nurses and healthcare technicians, are also actively protesting against poor working conditions and a lack of recognition, as well as demanding a review of promotion conditions.
The protests in the healthcare sector include grievances from nurses and health technicians who said they have not benefited from government promises of improved working conditions and compensation packages despite a substantial budget agreement in February 2022.
Some nurses and healthcare technicians claimed that the budget allocation and financial benefits have not been distributed equitably among different healthcare professionals. They argued that certain groups have benefited more than others, leading to disparities in compensation and incentives.
“We demand your urgent response to the legitimate financial demands of nurses and healthcare technicians, especially in light of the current tension within the sector due to preferential and discriminatory treatment among sectors and categories,” the Independent Union of Nurses and Healthcare Technicians said in a press release.
The union said that the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has invited health sector unions to the negotiating table this week to address the demands of various professional categories within the sector.
The union recently convened to discuss their upcoming meeting with the ministry, stressing that they “will not accept anything less than fair treatment for nurses.”
Another issue facing the sector is the severe shortage of medical personnel, exacerbating the challenges faced by healthcare professionals and impacting their ability to deliver quality patient care.
Morocco’s Court of Audits has revealed the disproportionately low number of health workers compared to the overall size of the population.
The number of health workers per 1,000 per capita stood at 1.64 at the end of 2021, way below the 4.45 minimum necessary to reach sustainable goals set by the UN.
