Morocco’s health minister has received an inspection report identifying a series of violations at two private clinics in the northern city of Larache after they allegedly refused to admit a seriously ill infant, according to Hespress AR sources familiar with the matter.
The report, prepared by inspectors at both the regional and central levels, found several violations at the two clinics, including deficiencies in medical equipment and infrastructure, the sources told Hespress.
The Health and Social Protection Ministry has issued strong criticism of the clinics and given their management a deadline to address the shortcomings, make the required infrastructure upgrades and provide missing equipment, according to the sources.
The two clinics could face closure if they fail to comply with the ministry’s instructions, the sources said. They added that the ministry has stressed that patients arriving in critical condition must not be turned away.
The case began when a family from Rabat, visiting Larache, sought medical care for their roughly 14-month-old child after he developed a severe fever and began drooling heavily and became almost unconscious, according to a complaint filed by the child’s mother.
The mother said she first took her son to one private clinic and then a second. At both facilities, she was reportedly told that the on-duty doctor could not examine a young child because there was no pediatrician available.
According to the complaint, the child’s pediatrician was available by phone and offered to speak directly with the on-duty doctor to explain the child’s condition and provide guidance. The request was nevertheless rejected, the mother said.
The family then went to the public Lalla Meryem Hospital in Larache, where an emergency physician immediately took charge of the child’s care, according to the complaint. The mother said her son subsequently overcame the health crisis.
The mother filed a complaint with the Health and Social Protection Ministry and the General Secretariat of the Government, calling for an investigation into what she described as the “refusal to provide medical assistance to a child in an emergency.”
She urged authorities to determine whether the two clinics had complied with their legal and professional obligations to receive emergency cases and whether their conduct could constitute a breach of professional duties or a failure to assist a person in danger under Moroccan law.
She also called for measures to prevent similar incidents and ensure that citizens, particularly children, have access to emergency medical care.
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