Morocco seeks to reinforce tele-health services in a bid to resolve healthcare pressing challenges

Morocco is aiming to strengthen its “telemedicine,” or telehealth services, in hopes to overcome some of the biggest challenges facing the sector.

Telehealth is the distribution of health-related services and information through the telephone or the internet. It allows long-distance patient and clinician contact, care, advice, reminders, education, intervention, monitoring, and remote admissions.

This service has become increasingly more relevant and feasible following the COVID-19 outbreak two years ago, and remains “complementary to in-person clinical and medical care.”

During a meeting on November 23, the National Doctors Authority and the National Committee for Monitoring the Protection of Personal Data signed an agreement aimed at protecting patients who use this service, which has been available in Morocco since 2015.

A number of Moroccan and foreign experts were present at the meeting, who addressed a number of topics, such as the experiences of other countries in the field of telemedicine, and the technological means used.

Health officials believe the implementation of telemedicine can solve overcrowding in hospitals while eliminating the limitations some Moroccans face when trying to access medical help.

Mohamed Eddine Boubakri, President of the National Council of Doctors, said that “telemedicine can be the solution for Morocco’s national health sector to overcome its shortcomings, especially marginalized and remote areas.”

In a statement to Hespress AR, Boubakri said that “this practice will allow access to medical services to all citizens.”

In response to a question about the effectiveness of telemedicine, Boubakri said that “there is a large group of developed countries, such as Canada, that use this method, which has given positive results,” adding that all conditions are present for Morocco to further develop this field.

When it comes to the cyber safety and security of the patients, Omar Seghrouchni, head of the National Committee for Monitoring the Protection of Personal Data, confirmed that both parties will cooperate for the optimal implementation of the law regulating telemedicine.

Seghrouchni stressed that the first goal of the National Committee for Monitoring the Protection of Personal Data is to ensure the existence of strong provisions and regulation that protects patients, considering the sensitivity of medical data.