The newly appointed Moroccan Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb, has “firmly instructed” hospitals around the country to change their attitude on how they treat patients in need of urgent medical care.

In a “circular note” addressed to directors and presidents of regional and provincial hospitals and health centers across Morocco, Taleb urged Moroccan health practitioners to only charge patients in emergency situations after providing  medical treatment.

His emphasis was on the “ethical necessity” for Moroccan hospitals to respect that fundamental medical rule of putting the patient’s life before any other considerations.

The article speaks of doctors’ and hospitals’ ethical obligation to “receive any patient, injured or a pregnant woman in emergency situations”. The article adds, “[Patients] should be hospitalized when their cases so require, and even when there are not enough hospital beds. Payment can only be discussed following provision of the necessary medical care.”

To avoid misunderstandings, however, the note emphasized that the insistence on only paying after all medical assistance has been provided does not “exonerate” patients from paying their medical bills.

The news comes after reports of the health ministry’s plans to deal with Morocco’s persisting public health issues.

Earlier this month, Minister Taleb, while presenting his department’s budget and capacity building projects for 2020, was clear that the resources available are not enough to tackle the country’s numerous and increasing public health issues.

Source: Morocco World News