Moroccan Union Warns of Childbirth Service Disruption in Ouezzane Hospital

A union official has raised alarms about the potential disruption of childbirth services at the Abu Al Qasim Al Zahrawi Regional Hospital in Ouezzane, Morocco, during the month of August. The concern stems from the scheduled annual leave of the hospital's only specialist in gynecology and obstetrics, with no substitute physician arranged.

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The obstetrics department is already suffering from a structural deficit; it relies throughout the year on a single specialist who practices four or five days a week, without providing any substitute doctor for the remaining days.

Abdullah Al-Basseer, the regional secretary for the National Union of Public Health in Ouezzane, highlighted that the obstetrics department already faces a "structural deficit." The department relies on a single specialist who works only four to five days a week. Without a replacement during his leave, pregnant women, especially those with complicated or C-section-requiring deliveries, may be redirected to hospitals in Chefchaouen or Tetouan.

Al-Basseer noted that the Ouezzane hospital averages around 200 births per month. On a recent Friday, three births had to be transferred due to limited staff and the absence of a specialist. This redirection places additional strain on patients, families, and the healthcare personnel involved in medical transport.

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The hospital in Ouezzane records an average of about 200 births per month.

While acknowledging the doctor's right to leave, the union official stressed that the lack of a replacement could worsen the situation, potentially leading to delays in attending to urgent cases and posing health risks to mothers and fetuses. The union is calling for urgent intervention from the director of the Ouezzane health region to provide a substitute doctor and ensure the continuity of services, guaranteeing residents' access to safe and regular healthcare.

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The absence of a substitute during the annual leave portends a worsening of this situation and could lead to a disruption in the functioning of the obstetrics department and delays in handling urgent cases, with the associated health risks for mothers and fetuses.