Rabat – Morocco has introduced a new university diploma in prison medicine to improve healthcare in prisons.
The General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration announced today that this program will help doctors handle the unique challenges of providing medical care in prisons.
The diploma was created in partnership with Hassan II University and the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Casablanca, with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
According to the prison authority, the program is a pioneering initiative in Africa and the Arab world. It covers multiple disciplines to equip prison healthcare workers with essential skills. It also considers the ethical, legal, and medical aspects of prison healthcare.
The first training session for the diploma will take place on February 21 and 22 at the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy in Casablanca. 20 doctors from the prison administration have been selected to be the first group of trainees.
This diploma is a major step in training prison healthcare staff in Morocco, the delegation argued, noting that it also opens the door for future collaborations, especially through South-South cooperation.
The launch of the program comes in the wake of an alarming rise in measles cases in prisons across Morocco.
Correctional facilities across the country recorded 122 cases as of January 31. Of these cases, 105 have recovered while the rest were still bed-ridden.
In response, the health ministry launched a vaccination campaign across Moroccan prisons, including facilities that had not recorded any measles cases. At least 62,000 inmates and 1,900 prison personnel received the vaccination.
