COVID-19 : Morocco Expands Hospital Capacity

Morocco is mobilizing all its medical resources and infrastructures to expand its Covid-19 treatment capacity and provide more ICU beds, ventilators and healthcare staff to help contain the coronavirus pandemic, which has so far killed 90 people in the country, infected 1,184, while 88 others recovered.

To support the country’s response efforts, the Royal Armed Forces have set up another field hospital in the Casablanca region, which is the most affected region in Morocco by the novel coronavirus.

A 200-bed military field hospital has been deployed lately in the Nouaceur province, in Casablanca region, after the 360-bed field hospital set up by the Moroccan army in the city of Benslimane.

The two temporary hospitals were both built in six days in the Casablanca region. They include all necessary medical equipment and are staffed with doctors, specialists and nurses for the treatment of covid-19 patients.

These field hospitals will help to alleviate the pressure exerted on civilian medical facilities. Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has ordered lately the Royal armed forces to use field hospitals to support the health infrastructure wherever necessary.

For its part, the National Social Security fund (CNSS) contributes to these national solidarity efforts by dedicating its major Casablanca polyclinic with its 144 beds, its modern intensive care units and medical staff to treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Part of efforts to bolster hospital capacity and secure extra ICU beds and medical staffing, authorities have also enhanced the capacity of the Casablanca Moulay Youssef hospital with 60 additional beds for the patients infected with coronavirus. Besides, its 20-bed maternity unit was renovated and fitted with all necessary medical equipment by the state-owned phosphate group OCP.

After the decision to transform Casablanca international exhibition center into a 760-bed hospital, the large indoor Mohammed V sports center in the city will also be converted into a field hospital. This will boost the city’s treatment capacity of covid-19 patients as the Casablanca region hosts the largest number of coronavirus cases.

All these moves will further boost Morocco’s hospital capacity as the government announced that it intends to increase the number of intensive care beds in the country to 3000.