Private healthcare providers challenge minister’s subsidy claims

Tuesday 07 October 2025 - 07:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Private healthcare providers challenge minister’s subsidy claims

Morocco’s leading private healthcare actors have disputed Health Minister Amine Tehraoui’s recent assertions that private clinics have received public investment subsidies, calling for transparency and the release of evidence supporting the claim.

The controversy began after the minister’s October 1 statement before Parliament’s Social Sectors Commission, in which he announced his decision to end investment subsidies to private clinics.

Private clinics demand proof and transparency

In an open letter, the National Association of Private Clinics (ANCP) expressed “surprise” at the minister’s remarks, asserting that none of its member institutions have ever received public funding for operations or equipment. Representing most private healthcare providers across the country, the ANCP urged the ministry to publish the full list of establishments allegedly benefiting from state support.

“We ask the minister to identify the specific legal or regulatory texts that authorize such subsidies, and to release the complete list of beneficiaries to ensure transparency for all citizens,” the association stated.

The ANCP warned that the minister’s comments could mislead the public and unfairly damage the reputation of a sector that has long supported Morocco’s healthcare system alongside public institutions.

Akdital denies receiving public support

Akdital Group, Morocco’s largest network of private hospitals and clinics, also rejected the claims. The group, which manages 41 establishments with 4,293 beds across 24 cities and employs more than 8,700 professionals, emphasized that it has never received any form of public investment support.

“Akdital Group has never benefited from government or public funding, directly or indirectly,” the company said in a statement.

The group, listed on the Casablanca Stock Exchange, highlighted its financial transparency under the supervision of the Moroccan Capital Market Authority (AMMC). It noted that all its financial statements are publicly available on the AMMC, Casablanca Stock Exchange, and Akdital websites.

Akdital explained that all its investments are financed through self-funding, bank loans, and capital raised on the national market. Despite qualifying for state investment incentives under the national Investment Charter, the company reaffirmed that it has never received such benefits.

Calls for accountability and openness

Akdital also underscored its contribution to Morocco’s healthcare coverage, with operations spanning all 12 regions, including the southern provinces of Laayoune, Dakhla, and Guelmim, and medium-sized cities such as Errachidia, Essaouira, and Nador. The group added that each new clinic creates over 200 jobs, most of them for young women.

Both Akdital and the ANCP are now urging the Health Ministry to publish the official list of clinics that allegedly received public investment subsidies. Their joint demand seeks to ensure accountability, restore public trust, and safeguard the credibility of Morocco’s private healthcare sector.