The regional council of the National Public Health Union in Marrakech has issued a stern warning regarding the escalating tensions within the healthcare facilities affiliated with the Ibn Zahr Regional Hospital. The council has announced its intention to consider a boycott of service monitoring starting from November 1, should the ongoing issues—including delays in compensation payments and interruptions in water and electricity services at the Chrifa Hospital—persist. This position was articulated during the annual meeting of the council, which is a founding member of the Democratic Federation of Labor, held on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in the conference hall of Chrifa Hospital. The meeting was overseen by the regional office and attended by national office members, including Mohamed Laqisi and Mohamed Al-Dib, alongside local office representatives and regional council members.
The meeting primarily focused on discussing the professional and social conditions of healthcare workers, as well as organizational issues connected to renewing the union's structures and preparing for upcoming electoral challenges, particularly the dual committees elections slated for 2027. According to a statement released by the regional office, the council identified several issues that adversely affect working conditions and the quality of healthcare services at the Ibn Zahr Regional Hospital and its associated facilities. Among these issues, the council highlighted the frequent interruptions to food services for patients and on-duty staff, as well as the non-payment of compensations for on-call duty and mandatory shifts that have not been disbursed since the latter half of 2025.
Additionally, the statement raised concerns regarding the lack of access for most employees to service memos and the aforementioned interruptions of water and electricity services at Chrifa Hospital. This situation has reportedly forced patients and staff to leave the facility in search of potable water and to fulfill their basic needs, thereby undermining the dignity of both patients and employees and affecting the overall patient reception conditions. Furthermore, the council expressed its dissatisfaction with the continued closure of the surgical complex at Dawood Al-Antaki Hospital for over three months, calling for an investigation into the reasons for this closure and the assignment of responsibilities, along with necessary administrative and legal actions against those responsible.
The discussion did not solely revolve around working conditions, equipment, and essential services; it also encompassed the compensation issues related to health coverage during the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations event in Morocco in 2025. In this regard, the council questioned the whereabouts of compensation funds that employees have not yet received and demanded clarification on the reasons for their non-payment and prompt disbursement to deserving individuals. The meeting also addressed the issue of housing allocation, criticizing what it described as a haphazard approach to distributing accommodations to eligible personnel, as well as the working conditions and union repression faced by union members across various health and medical institutions in the region.
After reviewing these issues, the regional council held the responsible parties, particularly the regional director, accountable for the current situation and the potential unrest it could create within healthcare institutions. They called for urgent intervention to rectify the identified discrepancies. The council also demanded the resumption of food services, ensured continuous supply of water and electricity, the payment of delayed compensations for on-call duty and mandatory shifts, the settlement of health coverage dues related to the Africa Cup of Nations, and the distribution of service memos to all employees.
In this context, the union emphasized the necessity of launching an investigation into the closure of the surgical complex at Dawood Al-Antaki Hospital, with appropriate responsibilities and penalties imposed should any violations be confirmed. On an organizational level, the council announced the commencement of preparations for holding general assemblies for local offices and the regional office to renew their structures and integrate new members, in accordance with the resolutions of the last national council meeting. They also called for mobilizing healthcare personnel and adopting a unified communication strategy with various health institutions and centers in anticipation of the upcoming union elections.
In conclusion, the regional council reiterated its readiness to engage in various forms of struggle deemed necessary to defend the rights and achievements of healthcare workers, urging those in the sector to strengthen their mobilization and rally around their union framework while awaiting the outcomes of the demands directed at the responsible authorities regarding the presented issues.
As reported by marrakech7.com.
