Assahafa.com
Moroccan Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tehraoui, said on Tuesday that improving emergency services is a top priority in Morocco’s ongoing health system reform.
Speaking before the House of Councillors, Tahraoui acknowledged that public emergency departments face several challenges, including overcrowding and a shortage of medical staff. He stated that around 60% of the patients who visit emergency units do not have urgent conditions, which increases pressure on hospitals and affects the quality of care.
To address these problems, the ministry has launched a short-term 10-week action plan aimed at improving the functioning of emergency services. The plan includes reorganizing internal departments, unifying medical procedures and protocols for handling emergency cases, and ensuring that doctors are present in emergency units at all times.
Tehraoui also announced new measures to improve the working environment for health staff, such as creating better rest areas for doctors and nurses and improving patient reception spaces to make them more comfortable and better organized.
A new unified national sign will also be introduced to identify emergency units across the country.
In addition to the short-term plan, Tehraoui said the ministry has started a medium-term structural reform focused on strengthening emergency medicine training and increasing human resources. This includes financial and career incentives to attract more doctors and nurses to the field, developing “SAMU” pre-hospital emergency networks, and standardizing emergency care protocols nationwide.
Rebuilding rural health
When addressing another question about healthcare in rural areas, the minister said that the government is working to reduce regional inequalities in access to medical services as part of a national reform that began in 2021.
He recalled the construction of several new health facilities in rural areas, such as local hospitals in Driouch, Talsint, and Ahfir, which he said now serve around 170,000 people. A new provincial hospital in Tinghir will soon serve over 300,000 residents and act as a regional medical reference point.
Tehraoui explained that these efforts are part of a national program to upgrade 1,400 local health centers by December 2025. These centers will follow unified standards for “new generation” health facilities, offering modern reception areas, advanced biomedical equipment, equipped pharmacies, comfortable waiting rooms, and full integration into Morocco’s national digital health system.
The program also includes the construction of 22 new hospitals between 2022 and 2025, providing an additional 2,433 hospital beds, as well as 24 projects currently under construction with 2,273 new beds, and 20 more projects planned by 2027, adding another 2,430 beds.
The ministry has also started building new university hospitals across the country so that every region can benefit from modern facilities for advanced care and local medical training. Tehraoui said this will help train more health professionals within their own regions and reduce internal migration to major cities.
Overcrowding of emergency rooms across Morocco was a focal point of public frustration that triggered the Agadir hospital protests in mid-September and the nationwide demonstrations that followed across hospitals in different cities.
Images allegedly showing victims of a road accident at the Agadir hospital lying on the ground as they waited for hours to receive treatment sparked outrage.
Weeks later, Moroccan youth, particularly the Gen Z 212 movement, organized nationwide protests to call for better healthcare and education, with the government vowing to address issues citizens raised and improve conditions in public hospitals.
Source: Morocco word news
