Baitas: Morocco doubles health budget, expands hospitals in reform push

Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas said Thursday that Morocco’s health sector has undergone “major” reforms in recent years, highlighting increased funding, expanded infrastructure and workforce growth as part of broader social policy changes.

Speaking at a weekly press briefing following a Cabinet meeting, Baitas said the health sector had been given priority alongside education reforms, with “significant resources mobilized and deep, comprehensive changes implemented.”

He noted that the sector’s budget rose from 19.7 billion dirhams ($1.9 billion) in 2021 to 42.4 billion dirhams ($4.1 billion) in 2026, more than doubling in five years.

Authorities have also completed upgrades to about 1,400 primary health centers and launched a new phase to rehabilitate an additional 1,600 facilities, Baitas said.

Morocco has expanded hospital capacity as well, including the opening of the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Agadir and the construction of five new university hospitals. Between 2022 and 2025, officials built 29 regional and provincial hospitals with a combined capacity of 3,168 beds, while 20 more facilities with nearly 3,700 beds are under construction. An additional 15 projects are planned.

On staffing, Baitas said the number of health professionals increased from 17 per 10,000 residents before 2021 to 25 in 2025, with projections of 30 in 2026 and 45 by 2030. Medical school capacity has also expanded, with student slots rising from about 2,750 in 2020 to 6,414 in 2025.

The government also highlighted broader social measures, including a 1,000-dirham ($100) general wage increase for public sector workers, higher family allowances and promotions, as well as salary improvements in education, health and higher education sectors.

Average net monthly wages in the public sector rose from 8,237 dirhams in 2021 to 10,600 dirhams in 2025, while the minimum wage increased from 3,258 to 4,500 dirhams, according to the government.

In the private sector, authorities raised the minimum wage and introduced pension reforms, including lowering eligibility requirements and allowing workers who do not qualify to recover their contributions.

Baitas said the total cost of public-sector measures exceeded 48 billion dirhams in 2026 and is expected to reach nearly 50 billion dirhams in 2027.

The Cabinet also reviewed draft legislation amending Morocco’s pharmaceutical and drug law, which Baitas described as a “major shift” aimed at strengthening national health sovereignty and modernizing regulation.

The bill follows the creation of a new national agency for medicines and health products and seeks to update a legal framework that is more than two decades old. It includes provisions for export-only marketing authorizations, conditional approvals to accelerate patient access to treatments, and stronger post-market monitoring of drug safety.

Baitas said the reform is part of a broader strategy to improve public health protection, boost the competitiveness of the domestic pharmaceutical industry and position Morocco as a regional hub in the sector.