After several legislative rounds, the standoff between the government and medical students continues. In response to this deadlock, the Moroccan Centre for Citizenship (CMC) has proposed implementing two years of national health service, counting the seventh year of medical studies as the first year of this service. This initiative aims to resolve the disputes between the students and the government.
In a recently published statement, the CMC acknowledges that this proposal is part of efforts to address the demands of medical and pharmacy students, who have been on open strike since December 2023 due to certain changes the government wishes to introduce in the framework of medical education reform.
According to the statement, the students’ demands primarily concern improving training conditions and rejecting the reduction of study duration from seven to six years. The students fear that this measure could impact the quality of education and the professional competence of doctors.
The government, on its part, believes that this reduction will increase the number of doctors and thus address the significant deficit in the health sector, which currently lacks 3,200 doctors and 6,400 nurses.
The CMC views the proposal as “aimed at maintaining the quality of training while addressing the needs of the health sector, allowing students to gain practical experience and ensuring appropriate financial compensation in accordance with the public service system.”
The proposal also includes a requirement for students to adhere to a minimum time limit for working in the public sector after their national service period. This aims to encourage students to remain in Morocco and serve its citizens, in response to the rising trend of Moroccan doctors migrating abroad.
This initiative represents a compromise solution, balancing the right of doctors to work abroad with the need to provide quality health care to Moroccan citizens, especially since medical training is funded by public funds.
Meanwhile, concerns are growing among students about the potential loss of the academic year due to the ongoing strike and exam boycott, with boycott rates reaching up to 95% in some faculties for the fifth time.
Students are calling for a review of certain aspects proposed by the government, including those related to the implementation of the new educational framework and the cancellation of sanctions imposed on some students due to the strike.
Despite multiple mediation attempts by Parliament, the crisis persists without concrete solutions. According to student representatives, they are prepared to continue the strike until their demands are met, stating that they “are only seeking to obtain medical training suitable for the health challenges Morocco faces.”
