Morocco Healthcare 101

Written By Al Fusaic

Structure of the Healthcare

The Ministry of Health oversees and regulates the healthcare sector which is comprised of public and private owned facilities. The public healthcare facilities are fostered by The Ministry of Health, the Royal Armed Forces, Local Communities, and other departments.

Private healthcare facilities are established by various stakeholders including the Mutual, the Moroccan Red Crescent (MRC), National Fund for Social Security (NFSS), the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and the National Fund of Social Welfare Bodies (NFSWB).

Financing Healthcare

There are two main public health insurance plans for the people, which are Assurance Maladie Obligatoire (AMO) and Régime d’ Assistance Medical (RAMED). 

AMO, which launched in 2005, covers government employees and those working in the private sector. Private sector employees are under the private healthcare plan, La CNSS (Caisse Nationale de Sécurité Sociale), which covers 70% of their healthcare expenditures. Public sector employees are under the public healthcare plan, La CNOPS (Caisse Nationale des Organismes de Prévoyance Sociale), which covers 80% of their healthcare expenses.

Under the new decree issued in August 2019, the kingdom is gearing towards universal healthcare coverage, as it is extending insurance options to the self-employed and other segments of the population. The extension will include health coverage to professionals working in the medical, legal, and financial fields, as well as those working in liberal professions who receive no salary.

RAMED, which launched in 2009, is meant to cover people of low income who earn below 5,650 dirhams. RAMED allows them access to public healthcare services. Employees of the army are covered under a government-backed health plan exclusively for them and their dependents.

Investment Opportunities

Lucrative opportunities to invest in the kingdom of Morocco’s healthcare space include but are not limited to:

  • Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing 

  • Private Health Facilities

  • Medical Tourism

  • Healthcare Startups

Start Ups & Technology

Medical personnel and innovators are leveraging emerging disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, drones, and 3D Technology to ensure that healthcare services reach everyone, including those residing in remote areas.

Notable startups include:

  • DabaDoc

  • Medtrucks

  • PocketDoc

  • DocDispo

Challenges

  • There is a shortage of medical personnel, especially in public healthcare facilities.

  • Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) remain a threat to the kingdom’s population, and are especially threatening to the elderly population.

  • There are a limited number of healthcare startups, which in turn limits medical and healthcare breakthroughs.

Solutions

  • The kingdom should train more professionals and incentivize them to stay in public facilities, rather than work in private facilities or seek opportunities in other GCC countries.

  • Wide screening campaigns should be launched to rally the population to maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent NCDs.

  • The government should subsidize and back healthcare startups to ensure that healthcare services are available for all. Startups have the infrastructure and flexibility to reach people living in remote areas, so the government should use them as a bridge to supply medicine and services to places that large facilities struggle to reach.

Al Fusaic
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