Morocco's Minister of Health Vows Steps to Curb Immigration of Doctors

A patient is seen in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Prince Moulay Abdellah hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Sale, Morocco April 23, 2020. (Reuters)
A patient is seen in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Prince Moulay Abdellah hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Sale, Morocco April 23, 2020. (Reuters)
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Morocco's Minister of Health Vows Steps to Curb Immigration of Doctors

A patient is seen in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Prince Moulay Abdellah hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Sale, Morocco April 23, 2020. (Reuters)
A patient is seen in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Prince Moulay Abdellah hospital as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Sale, Morocco April 23, 2020. (Reuters)

Morocco's Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb said his ministry is working to curb the immigration of doctors and medical professionals as the kingdom grapples with a shortage of medical staff.

Responding to a question at the parliament on Monday, the minister noted that these procedures include improving the working conditions of these professionals.

The National Human Rights Council had recently revealed that some 10,000 to 14,000 doctors had left the country.

Morocco needs 26,000 doctors and 65,000 nurses to meet local demands.

“We have improved the sector by adopting innovative mechanisms to attract health workers from inside and outside the country, and to encourage them to work in the public health sector and ensure its stability,” said Ait Taleb.

He added that his ministry is holding several meetings to discuss many issues that concern the future of the sector, including the outlines framing jobs and the requirements of health workers.

The minister cited a deal signed in February that raises doctors' salaries from 8,000 dirhams ($800) to 13,000 dirhams ($1,300).



Gaza: Polio Vaccine Campaign Kicks off a day Before Expected Pause in Fighting

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
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Gaza: Polio Vaccine Campaign Kicks off a day Before Expected Pause in Fighting

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child at a hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A campaign to inoculate children in Gaza against polio and prevent the spread of the virus began on Saturday, Gaza's Health Ministry said, as Palestinians in both the Hamas-governed enclave and the occupied West Bank reeled from Israel's ongoing military offensives.

Children in Gaza began receiving vaccines, the health ministry told a news conference, a day before the large-scale vaccine rollout and planned pause in fighting agreed to by Israel and the UN World Health Organization. The WHO confirmed the larger campaign would begin Sunday.

“There must be a ceasefire so that the teams can reach everyone targeted by this campaign,” said Dr. Yousef Abu Al-Rish, deputy health minister, describing scenes of sewage running through crowded tent camps in Gaza.

Associated Press journalists saw about 10 infants receiving vaccine doses at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.

Israel is expected to pause some operations in Gaza on Sunday to allow health workers to administer vaccines to some 650,000 Palestinian children. Officials said the pause would last at least nine hours and is unrelated to ongoing cease-fire negotiations.

“We will vaccinate up to 10-year-olds and God willing we will be fine,” said Dr. Bassam Abu Ahmed, general coordinator of public health programs at Al-Quds University.

The vaccination campaign comes after the first polio case in 25 years in Gaza was discovered this month. Doctors concluded a 10-month-old had been partially paralyzed by a mutated strain of the virus after not being vaccinated due to fighting.

Healthcare workers in Gaza have been warning of the potential for a polio outbreak for months. The humanitarian crisis has deepened during the war that broke out after Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were militants.

Hours earlier, the Health Ministry said hospitals received 89 dead on Saturday, including 26 who died in an overnight Israeli bombardment, and 205 wounded — one of the highest daily tallies in months.