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Morocco Loses 700 Doctors Annually to Emigration, Official Confirms
🇲🇦 Morocco /Culture & Society

Morocco Loses 700 Doctors Annually to Emigration, Official Confirms

From Hespress · () Arabic

Translated from Arabic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Around 600 to 700 Moroccan doctors leave the country annually, primarily heading to Germany, according to the head of the National Authority of Physicians and Surgeons.
  • Key reasons for emigration include better opportunities for specialized training abroad and financial incentives, though improved domestic training facilities are being developed.
  • Morocco is expanding its medical education infrastructure by establishing new medical schools and university hospitals, aiming to curb doctor emigration within three to four years.

Morocco is grappling with a continuous "bleeding" of its medical professionals, with an estimated 600 to 700 doctors emigrating annually, primarily to Germany. Dr. Mohamedine Boukry, head of the National Authority of Physicians and Surgeons, confirmed these figures, highlighting that the trend persists despite efforts to retain talent.

This phenomenon of Moroccan doctors emigrating abroad continues as a constant bleeding that affects the health sector.

— Dr. Mohamedine BoukryHead of the National Authority of Physicians and Surgeons, confirming reports of doctors leaving Morocco.

Boukry identified two main drivers for this "brain drain": financial considerations and, more significantly, the superior opportunities for specialized training available abroad. He noted that foreign programs often allow doctors to complete language studies within a year, followed immediately by specialization choices in major cities.

This figure is correct. The number of doctors leaving the country annually ranges between 600 and 700.

— Dr. Mohamedine BoukryResponding to media reports about the number of doctors emigrating.

To counter this exodus, Morocco is accelerating plans to establish a medical school and university hospital in each of the country's regions. Combined with existing private medical institutions, this will bring the total number of active medical schools to 23. Boukry expressed optimism that these developments, along with new medical schools in Settat and Kenitra, will resolve specialization-related emigration issues within three to four years.

The primary and most important reason, preceding the financial motive, is the great facilities available abroad for the specialization phase and the availability of choosing the types of medical specializations.

— Dr. Mohamedine BoukryExplaining the main drivers behind doctors' decisions to emigrate.

Furthermore, the government is working on financial incentives, integrating fixed and variable pay structures, to make domestic practice more attractive. Boukry anticipates that the emigration trend will subside within three years as new colleges mature and meet the specialization demands of new doctors. He also assured that appointment issues are being addressed through coordination with the ministry, allowing doctors to choose their work locations within territorial health groups.

Within the next three to four years, the issue related to specializations will be completely overcome.

— Dr. Mohamedine BoukryExpressing confidence in the impact of new medical education initiatives.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hespress in Arabic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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