Beginning September 1st, the health groups of the Casablanca-Settat and Fes-Meknes regions will officially activate as part of the ongoing efforts to reform Morocco's national healthcare system. This initiative follows the successful pilot program that was introduced in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region during the summer of last year. With this launch, the number of operational regional health groups (GST) will rise to six out of the twelve planned groups, reflecting a strategic shift towards decentralizing health decision-making and improving the efficiency of healthcare institutions and services.
Meanwhile, the regional health groups for the Eastern region, Beni Mellal-Khenifra, Marrakech-Safi, Draa-Tafilalet, Guelmim-Oued Noun, and Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra are still awaiting the appointment of their general directors and the final arrangements necessary for their operations. The health group for the Fes-Meknes region held its first board meeting on June 9th, while the Casablanca-Settat group followed suit with its inaugural board meeting the next day, both chaired by Aziz Akhannouch.
This development comes after the appointment of the general directors for these two health groups, along with three additional directors, by King Mohammed VI in April, based on a proposal from the Prime Minister and an initiative by the Minister of Health and Social Protection. Previously, the establishment of health groups had been activated in four regions across the kingdom, including Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, and Souss-Massa.
To ensure a smooth rollout of this initiative, Hicham Afif, the general director of the Casablanca-Settat health group, held a communication meeting with union representatives last Friday. The discussions addressed various issues related to this new phase, particularly concerning human resources, the administrative and financial status of employees, governance, promotions, transfers, as well as positions of responsibility and ongoing training. During this meeting, Afif provided insights into the available human resources, noting that the number of staff at the university hospital center is approximately 5,100, while the total number of employees in the region stands at around 8,000, according to a statement from the National Health Union, associated with the Moroccan National Labor Union.
Afif also highlighted several challenges associated with this transitional phase, including issues related to the information system and employee integration, financial obligations and debt, delays in certain operations and files, as well as shortages in human resources, particularly specialist physicians, and existing governance and coordination problems. He assured union representatives of his intention to actively assess the actual needs of healthcare institutions in terms of human resources, work towards disbursing overdue compensations and entitlements, and include remaining financial obligations within the group’s budget. Additionally, he plans to collaborate with the ministry to expedite transfers and address the financial aspects of SAMU units to incentivize their personnel through travel-related compensations.
According to Law No. 08.22, regional health groups are considered public institutions with legal status and financial autonomy. They are tasked with providing health treatments, training, and research at the regional level. Furthermore, these institutions are responsible for implementing state policies in the health sector within their territorial jurisdictions, encompassing treatment offerings, public health, training, research, expertise, innovation, and management.
As reported by hespress.com.
