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Morocco Targets Better Regional Balance in Healthcare Access

Rabat – The Moroccan government announced major health reforms, including 15 hospital projects across the country that it will complete this year, adding around 3,000 new beds to the national healthcare system.

The announcement comes after widespread grievances across Morocco over the deteriorating state of the national healthcare system. Many citizens have raised concerns about overcrowded hospitals, limited access to care in some regions, and persistent shortages in medical staff and equipment.

Morocco’s Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tehraoui, announced the reforms yesterday. Speaking to the press after a meeting on healthcare reform chaired by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, the minister said the projects aim to strengthen healthcare infrastructure and improve regional balance in access to services.

Tehraoui said that authorities are accelerating major hospital projects to bring healthcare closer to citizens and reduce disparities between regions. He added that a program to upgrade 1,400 primary healthcare facilities has already been completed.

The ministry has also launched a program to renovate 1,600 additional primary healthcare centers, including 500 scheduled for rehabilitation this year.

Tehraoui also said a pilot system for emergency medical assistance has been launched in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region. The system will gradually expand to other parts of the country.

He also announced upgrades to the Ministry’s digital complaints platform “Chikaya” to improve communication with citizens and ensure transparent tracking of complaints.

The reform includes the rollout of a shared electronic health record and the introduction of electronic treatment sheets. Tehraoui said the technical development of these platforms is complete, and they are ready for field testing before a gradual national rollout, in line with legal requirements.

In addition, a unified digital platform combining data from both public and private healthcare sectors has been completed. The government has mobilized 250 field researchers nationwide to update and verify data, the minister said.

Tehraoui concluded that work will continue on the legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure the effective implementation of these reforms.

In September 2025, Morocco witnessed nationwide protests over what many described as “catastrophic” services at public hospitals. The protests initially began in Agadir after the death of eight women following cesarean section operations at Hassan II regional hospital.

The incident sparked widespread outrage and demonstrations, leading to the large-scale Gen Z protests demanding accountability, reform, and better healthcare and education.

In response, the government expressed its readiness to engage with the youth and their demands, as well as announced an increase in the budgets allocated to education and healthcare.

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