The director of Mohammed V Hospital in Safi, Khalid Iazza, said that an emergency plan was activated to treat victims of the floods that hit the region on Sunday.
The plan involved calling in medical, nursing, and administrative staff and mobilizing all necessary equipment and resources.
The hospital prepared 50 beds for flood victims, with the possibility to expand if needed, the director said, adding that essential medical equipment, including CT scanners, X-ray machines, ultrasound devices, and laboratory facilities, was fully available.
Iazza said that the hospital faced no shortage of resources.
Five emergency doctors, two anesthesiologists, an orthopedic surgeon, and a neurosurgeon were called in to support the response.
By 6 p.m. on Sunday, the hospital had received 61 patients. Two of them remained in the intensive care unit, but their condition was stable. Another 18 patients were treated for severe hypothermia.
By Monday morning, 13 patients had been discharged, while five continued treatment, and the two in intensive care were expected to leave later in the day or the following day.
Iazza said that the situation was under control thanks to the hospital’s preparedness which allowed all patients to receive the care they needed.
The devastating floods that hit Safi claimed the lives of 37 people as of Monday morning.
Authorities said that civil protection services, security forces, and other teams continue to carry out search, rescue, and assistance efforts in affected areas, as well as provide support to impacted residents.
The devastating human toll has taken Moroccans by surprise as they questioned whether weather warnings were issued early enough, while others criticized the city’s infrastructure, saying it may not be prepared to handle such extreme weather.