Rabat – Morocco’s Minister of Health and Social Protection Khaled Ait Taleb has announced that more than MAD 6 billion ($ 604 million) has been allocated in the investment budget to reconstruct and strengthen the country’s health sector.
The reforms include rebuilding and improving medical facilities, as well as renewing and modernizing biomedical equipment and maintenance services.
Ait Taleb stated that “despite all the challenges and constraints,” the ministry of health has set an “ambitious program” to reform and improve the health system in the country in accordance with King Mohammed VI’s instructions.
The minister added that medical facilities are currently subject to unified engineering and technical guidelines. In addition, medical, biomedical, and technical devices will constantly be renewed, modernized, and monitored to meet the newest technologies.
He also noted that Morocco will adopt new measures for maintenance services, as well as advanced tools for scheduling appointments and billing.
In order to improve governance in the management of health infrastructure projects, Ait Taleb noted that work is still in progress to delegate projects for building health facilities to the National Agency for Public Equipment.
As part of the initiative, the minister of the interior Abdelouafi Laftit and Ait Taleb have jointly decided to adopt new measures to organize and restructure urgent care facilities in order to relieve pressure on regional hospitals.
Despite its largely negative consequences flet across Morocco in much of the past two years, the COVID pandemic was an opportunity for Morocco to strengthen its medical centers, Ait Taleb stated.
Deficiencies in Morocco’s health sector
Morocco’s Court of Auditors published last month its latest annual report in which it tackled the challenges of the country’s health sector.
The court recorded various deficiencies in hospital centers in Morocco, including medicine supply, medical devices, and laboratory equipment, saying that these affected the quality of services provided to patients in Moroccan hospitals.
In addition, the report pointed out the delays and irregularities in operations of supplying hospitals with medicine and medical supplies.
Despite the high demand for health services, the court noted a decrease in employment at the ministry of health.
The court attributed the staff shortage to the “low attractiveness” of the public health sector for young doctors.
According to the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH), 23,000 of Moroccan doctors work in their home country while 13,000 have left to work abroad.
The CNDH has also criticized the inequity of medical staff distribution across the country, causing shortage in rural areas.
On March 30, Moroccan authorities arrested 30 people for their alleged involvement in a fraud scandal in the public health sector.
Read also: Investigation Shows 8 Suspects Involved in Fraud in Morocco’s Health Sector
