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Morocco Boosts Medical Training with 88% Increase in Student Capacity for 2024
Morocco's healthcare system is undergoing significant expansion, with medical faculties set to increase their student capacity by 88% in 2024. The move is part of a broader strategy to strengthen healthcare services and meet the growing demand for skilled medical professionals.
The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tahraoui, highlighted the importance of this expansion during a hearing at the House of Representatives. According to Tahraoui, the ministry’s plan includes creating 7,543 additional medical faculty seats by 2027, backed by a budget of MAD 3 billion (USD 297.34 million). This increase will address the rising need for healthcare workers, with particular emphasis on nursing and medical technician programs.
The number of nursing and health technician seats has seen a substantial rise in 2024, with 8,360 spots for bachelor degrees and 680 for master’s programs. The ministry aims to further boost this number to 11,900 by 2029. Additionally, plans are underway to develop 16 research groups and four research laboratories at the doctoral level in higher institutes of nursing professions.
Another key initiative involves expanding residency programs for specialist doctors. The ministry will increase the number of residency positions by 100 each year for contractual residents and 50 for non-contractual residents over the next five years. This is part of an effort to increase the overall number of healthcare workers in Morocco, aiming to achieve a ratio of 45 healthcare workers per 10,000 people by 2030, in line with World Health Organization standards.
In an effort to address long-standing issues in the healthcare education system, the ministry has committed to adding 6,500 new budgetary positions by 2025. These efforts come in the wake of a medical student strike in December 2023, which brought attention to concerns regarding clinical training, internship allocation, and postgraduate specialization opportunities.
Morocco is also facing a challenge of medical brain drain, with an estimated 600 to 700 doctors leaving the country each year for opportunities abroad. This loss, combined with uneven distribution of healthcare resources, has underscored the urgency of reforms in the healthcare sector. The government is taking steps to address these challenges, with the medical faculties' expansion being a crucial part of the strategy to enhance Morocco's healthcare services and meet future demands.
