A Comprehensive Tutorial to understand Morocco’s Health system
After taking the plunge to move to this wonderful country, it’s important to secure all of the aspects of your new life abroad, particularly when it comes to organizing your expat health insurance. No one can predict when an emergency or health issue might arise but rest assured you will learn the basics with us.
Health care services in Morocco have evolved in line with the country’s epidemiological transition, facilitated by heightened surveillance of health-related conditions and the maturing role carried out by the private sector. Developments have evolved in line with the objectives outlined in the country’s long-term strategy, Vision 2020. Implemented in 2006, the strategy aims at achieving an efficient health care system by 2020.
Understanding the Moroccan health system
The health system in Morocco strength is evolving thanks to the inclusive approach where new health priorities evolve accordingly to trends of the epidemiological and demographic changes.
The public sector
It includes the health care resources of the Ministry of Health, the Royal Armed Forces, Local Communities and other Ministerial Departments. Medical coverage is guaranteed by three strategies:
Fixed strategy: a person requiring services and care goes to a basic health care provider. The mobile and roaming strategies cover, the rural environment.
Mobile strategy: composed of a medical team goes periodically to those areas located far from health centres.
Roaming strategy: it is a non-medical activity where a nurse takes a motorbike or even a donkey to distribute certain medicines (oral rehydration, contraceptive pills, eye cream, etc.), and to promote health care procedures in particular for pregnant women, diabetics and other chronic diseases.
The private sector: its 2 sub-sectors
Non-profit: grouping the health resources of the National Fund for Social Security (NFSS), the Mutuals and the National Fund of Social Welfare Bodies (NFSWB), the Moroccan Red Crescent (MRC), and NGOs.
For-profit, sub-sector: made up of the health care structures of the free market sector, organised individually or grouped together, by doctors, dental surgeons, pharmacists or other health professionals (consulting rooms, medical scanning, pathology, care and rehabilitation, dental surgery, hospital clinics, pharmacies, and medical warehouses). In relation to infrastructure, this sector consists of 220 clinics, 30 dialysis centres, and about100 radiologist’s offices (with or without scanners, and some Magnetic Resonance Imaging offices), in addition to other specializations, and a significant number of general medicine practitioners with sonogram facilities.
Expat’s health insurance in Morocco
An international health insurance gives you the opportunity to seek treatment in the medical facilities or with the doctors of your choice, whether in Morocco or abroad. Choosing an international insurance with a coverage area beyond Morocco is the best option for people preferring to seek treatment abroad or in their country of origin in case of a specific medical problem.
Moreover, if you leave Morocco and move elsewhere, your international health insurance may be able to follow you, unlike a Moroccan health insurance which is only valid locally.
It is important to note that an expat insurance in Morocco will not exempt you from subscribing to the Moroccan healthcare system if it is obligatory for you.
