Morocco: Government to raise medics’ wages after showdown with unions

The Moroccan government plans to increase the salaries of nurses and technicians in public hospitals by 1000 dirhams, following recurrent strikes and protests.

The salary hike was announced by government spokesman, who said health reform was at the heart of government priorities.

His words did little to calm down angry unions representing nurses and health workers whose protest in Rabat on Wednesday was dispersed using water cannons.

Main unions representing health workers said they will launch another strike till July 26.

The nurses demand higher salary hikes, an organization to represent their professional interests and better working conditions.

Meanwhile, medicine students have largely boycotted exams risking a gap year. They are rejecting a government reform to shorten their medical training by one year and demand better learning conditions.

The government argues that cutting the duration would help have more graduated doctors to fill in vacancies across the country.

Up to 1400 doctors trained in Moroccan universities leave the country, mostly to Europe, where many countries are vying to attract foreign medics.

To meet increasing demand on health services and population growth, the government has adopted a 300-million-dollar strategy to increase the number of healthcare graduates to 90000 by 2025.

This should increase the number of medical staff per 10,000 people to 45 by 2030, from 17 currently.