For more than six months, the students in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy are on strike. Their main demand concerns the improvement of their training and hospital internship conditions, as well as the duration of training. This was reduced to six instead of seven years, something they strongly contest on the grounds that it would impact their academic career. For these future students health professionals, the training conditions do not meet the requirements of their future career.
For their part, the two supervisory ministries, Health and Higher Education, are sticking to their position, which is causing the blockage to continue. But a glimmer of hope has appeared on the horizon since the last meeting of the Head of government with the presidents of the Faculties of Medicine and his declarations which go in the direction of appeasement and dialogue. At least that’s what I think Moulay Said Afif, president of the Moroccan Society of Medical Sciences and president of the National Health Federation. For him, these developments offer a glimpse of the end of the tunnel. Guest of “L’Info en Face”, he underlined on June 5 that the intensive meetings between student representatives, deans of Faculties of medicinethe responsible ministers and the Head of Government were a good omen and would make it possible to find a compromise acceptable to all parties concerned.
Moulay Saïd Afif believes that positive signals are coming from the negotiations, affirming that the government is determined to resolve this crisis, aware that it is of the importance of these students as doctors and pharmacists of tomorrow in the outcome of the health system reform underway. “These students are our children, the doctors of tomorrow. We must ensure a solution that is beneficial for all,” he declared, recalling that the Royal Project for universal health coverage requires increasing the number of health professionals. “With an estimated need of 35,000 doctors for only 28,000 currently in practice, it is essential to ensure good training for future doctors and to retain them in Morocco. It’s a strategic issue!” he alerts.
The president of the Moroccan Society of Medical Sciences, however, believes that the main blocking point remains the reduction in the duration of the training course. The government intends to maintain this reduction, he indicated, specifying that it must also meet the expectations of students and listen to them regarding the fears they have expressed regarding the quality of their practical training. . “Internships are important for the training of future doctors. Improving their quality is one of the crucial aspects for students.”
Psychological impact on students and their families
In this regard, Moulay Saïd Afif underlined the importance of visibility for students regarding their academic and professional future. “Students demand good practical training and quality internships. We must give them guarantees on these aspects to move forward,” he insisted. But beyond the academic aspects, the crisis also has a significant psychological impact on students and their families, notes the Guest of “L’Info en Face”. On the eve of the exams, the uncertainty and stress caused by this prolonged situation are major concerns that must be taken into account, according to Mr. Afif. “It is important to treat these aspects seriously, because the psychological health and mental condition of students is just as crucial as their academic training!” To conclude, Moulay Saïd Afif expressed the hope of seeing the crisis in the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy resolved in the coming days. According to him, the future of these students and the health system in our country is at stake.
