Moroccan security forces dispersed a sit-in organized by medical students and their families in Rabat. Some participants were injured and fainted during the incident that happened on Wednesday evening.
Tension has been high after mediation efforts failed, leaving the crisis unresolved. Medical students have been protesting the government’s refusal to meet their demands, including the reversal of the decision to cancel the seventh year of medical training in Morocco.
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Despite intervention by the Ombudsman of the Kingdom, the government failed to find a new solution for the medical school crisis.
The National Committee of Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy Students announced an unprecedented national protest on October 15 in Rabat.
The committee revealed that more than 75% of medical students nationwide rejected the government’s proposal to settle the ongoing dispute.
As a result, students started demonstrating on the streets and campuses, demanding that the Minister of Higher Education meet their full list of demands.
In a statement, Rabat medical students’ office declared a peaceful 12-hour sit-in outside the Rabat Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy on Wednesday.
They expressed frustration over prolonged tensions due to “authorities’ obstinate and intimidating policies.”
Medical students in Marrakesh are also preparing for a sit-in on Friday, September 27, from 7 PM until 8 AM the following day.
Similarly, students in Agadir will organize a protest outside the Faculty of Medicine from 5 PM on Monday, September 30, until 7 AM the next day.
Tangier’s medical students plan to hold a sit-in on Thursday, from 6 PM to 1 PM the following Friday. The agreement between pharmacy students and the government, mediated by the Ombudsman, resulted in the end of their boycott of classes and exams. Despite this victory, medical students remain steadfast, stating they will continue their protests until the government presents serious proposals to ensure justice for all medical fields.
Medical students’ parents demonstrated in front of Rabat’s parliament building late June, condemning the situation in Morocco, where medical students have been on strike for months and may face “a blank year” after boycotting their final examinations a few weeks ago.
The dispute between the government and the students erupted when the administration decided to lower the number of years of study from seven to six.
The demonstrators urged the government to take responsibility and resolve the situation as soon as possible, while also underlining the importance of improving the conditions of medical and pharmacy schools.
The administration and students are accusing each other of worsening the problem and inflaming tensions inside medical and pharmacy colleges, while public opinion is growing anxious about the future of a whole generation of doctors and pharmacists.
The administration blames the students for their “intransigence and insistence” in boycotting the tests, despite the fact that the boycott is based on the installation of a new framework for the medical training system beginning with the next academic year.
The current situation jeopardizes both the students’ futures and Morocco’s health-care system, including reviewing the fines imposed on some students after passing the examinations and compensating them for missing hospital training days.