Healthcare System: The Head of Government Chairs a Follow-Up Meeting

On Tuesday, March 11 in Rabat, Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch chaired a meeting dedicated to monitoring the progress of initiatives to advance the healthcare system, in line with realizing the royal vision. 

The meeting reviewed the implementation stages of the pillars of the radical reform of the national healthcare system, which include establishing governance bodies, continuing infrastructure development, digitizing the sector, and increasing the number of healthcare professionals. 

During the meeting, the Head of Government reaffirmed the government’s responsible commitment to improving healthcare services by mobilizing the necessary material and human resources required for the royal project on social protection. He emphasized that the ultimate goal remains ensuring quality public healthcare delivery, meeting the expectations of Moroccan citizens, and reinforcing the foundations of the social state envisioned by His Majesty King Mohammed VI. 

The Head of Government called for diligence and efficiency to complete medical treatment infrastructure projects ahead of deadlines and to implement measures ensuring proper patient reception and streamlined access to medical services at public healthcare facilities. 

The meeting assessed progress in implementing the government’s good governance framework for the sector, notably through establishing the High Health Authority, the Moroccan Agency for Medicines and Health Products, and the Moroccan Agency for Blood and Derivatives. These bodies aim to strengthen regulatory oversight, enhance hospital governance, and improve territorial healthcare planning. 

Additionally, updates were provided on the construction, expansion, and renovation of 6 university hospital centers and 79 provincial and regional hospitals, which will add 11,338 hospital beds to the national capacity. 

The meeting also reviewed advancements in digitizing the national healthcare system, including the development of an integrated IT system for collecting and processing core data. This will lead to a partnership agreement between the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the National Social Security Fund to ensure financial alignment and efficiency in deploying the system. 

Regarding human resources, discussions focused on implementing the program to increase healthcare professionals by 2030. Significant progress was noted in fulfilling commitments under the July 2022 framework agreement, which aims to address current staff shortages and reform training systems. 

Finally, the meeting highlighted progress in establishing new medical and pharmacy schools in Guelmim, Errachidia, and Béni-Mellal, as well as reforms to healthcare professionals’ training curricula.