453 foreign doctors have been working in the private sector in Morocco since the government amended law 131.13 liberalizing the practice of medicine, health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb told Members of Parliament during a session devoted to oral questions on Monday.
The amendment of the 131.13 law removed a number of obstacles that prevented doctors with foreign qualifications from working in Morocco, at a time when a shortage of medical personnel is threatening the sustainability of Morocco’s healthcare sector.
Human resources are in short supply right now, with Morocco’s health system lacking 32,000 physicians and 65,000 nurses.
As nations worldwide seek to recruit doctors to meet their healthcare sector demands, Morocco is following the international trend and is attempting to address the shortage. The new challenge now, said the minister, is to make the public sector more attractive.
The department’s budgeted positions for general medicine often receive fewer candidates than the number of vacancies posted, he said. This is largely due to the fact that most Moroccan doctors opt to specialize in order to improve their take home pay and socio-economic status, especially given the absence of other incentives to do so.
Creating good working conditions as well as financial incentives to recruit international doctors is critical. The government is working on twinning agreements with many nations to recruit international doctors.
Act No. 33-21 amending and supplementing Act No. 131-13 on the practice of medicine introduced a series of measures to facilitate the recruitment of foreign doctors. The principal requirement for practicing medicine in Morocco is registration with Morocco’s National Order of Doctors.
This entitles foreign doctors to a registration card, in accordance with the legal provisions governing entry to and residence in Morocco. Article 32 of the law subjects foreign doctors wishing to practice in Morocco to the same conditions as their Moroccan counterparts, including appropriate diplomas and certificates authorizing them to practice medicine, and a criminal background check in Morocco or abroad.