The recent death of a child from a venomous snakebite in the rural village of Taskint, located in the Ikidi commune of Taroudant province, has reignited public debate over health access and emergency care in the region.
The incident occurred early last week, when the child was transported to the provincial hospital, Mokhtar Soussi, in Taroudant city. He died shortly afterward, reportedly due to the severity of the bite and the long delay in receiving initial medical treatment.
The tragedy has raised broader questions not only about health services but also about the geographic and administrative challenges facing Taroudant, one of Morocco’s largest provinces, composed of 89 mostly rural communes. The province is currently served by a single regional hospital, which receives patients from areas over 100 kilometers away.
Antivenom Available But Delays Persist
In response to the incident, a health official confirmed that antivenom is available at the Mokhtar Soussi hospital and that necessary procedures are in place to treat incoming cases.
“The hospital receives antivenom doses annually from the regional health directorate of Souss-Massa,” the source told Hespress AR, adding that “medical teams have successfully treated many snakebite victims.”
However, the official acknowledged that the primary challenge remains the time it takes for patients to reach the hospital, particularly given the vast and mountainous terrain of the province. “The longer it takes to get a victim to the hospital, the lower the chances of effective medical intervention,” the official said.
He added that the ongoing construction of three new local hospitals in Igherm, Oulad Berhil, and Taliouine is expected to ease the pressure on the main hospital and improve response times in the future.
Calls for Administrative Reform
The incident has also prompted civil society groups to renew calls for administrative restructuring in the province. Some are advocating for the creation of an additional administrative district in areas like Taliouine, Oulad Berhil, or Oulad Teima to decentralize services.
Houcine Elyoussoufi, co-founder of the Sousse Al-Aliya Forum, said Taroudant’s vast size hinders development efforts across its 89 communes, not just in healthcare, but in all sectors.
“Redrawing the administrative boundaries could shorten the distances residents must travel to access the province’s only hospital and open the door for constructing additional regional-level facilities,” he said. “Long travel times reduce the effectiveness of emergency response, whether for snakebites, road accidents, or other crises.”
Idriss Aqiq, a human rights activist in the Souss-Massa region, echoed these concerns. “The lack of proximity to healthcare is a real issue in Taroudant,” he told Hespress AR. “We need to move toward establishing local health hubs that offer the same, or better, services as the current regional hospital.”
“These hubs would ease the burden on the main hospital and bring vital care closer to the people,” Aqiq added.
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