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Rabat – The National Committee of Resident Doctors (CNIR) announced on October 19 the extension of their strike, from October 22 to 24, as a response to the Ministries of Health and Higher Education for ignoring their demands and avoiding dialogue.
During the strike, emergency and critical care services will continue to operate.
The committee points out in its announcement “this irresponsible behavior reflects a lack of genuine commitment to improving our professional conditions and providing suitable environments to fulfill our humanitarian duties.”
For months, the committee has participated in many meetings and correspondences, only to be met with delay and inaction. This ongoing pattern reveals a concerning lack of commitment from the authorities to address critical demands that protect the dignity and rights of essential healthcare workers.
While the committee has sought fair and practical solutions, the students assert that the government has continued to evade responsibility and discussion, demonstrating little regard for the serious repercussions of its neglect of the healthcare system.
“We urge those with wisdom and influence to intervene urgently to find solutions to this crisis, which now threatens the stability of the healthcare system. We need serious and responsible dialogue to restore balance, ensure professionals’s rights, and improve working conditions to benefit all,” their announcement read.
Tensions escalated on September 25 when Moroccan authorities forcibly broke up a peaceful sit-in by medical students outside Rabat’s Faculty of Medicine. The forceful action has sparked widespread outrage within the medical community and beyond, drawing sharp criticism from various entities.
Since December 2023, Morocco’s medical students have been boycotting classes, training, and exams due to ongoing concerns about the quality of their education. A key issue driving their protests is the government’s decision to shorten medical training by one year, which has drawn criticism and raised alarms about declining standards.
Other factors contributing to the unrest include overcrowded classrooms and hospitals, uncertainties related to the restructuring of the third cycle of medical studies, and specific challenges within individual medical faculties.
Earlier this year, Higher Education Minister Abdellatif Miraoui cautioned about the negative impact of extended boycotts on academic schedules, stating that the situation does not look promising and that ongoing disruptions hinder efforts to salvage the academic year. Despite these warnings, medical and dental students are persisting with their protests towards a better education and future.
