Eastern Province overhauls its health system with 5.5 billion dirhams

Oriental Eco

The Eastern Province is undergoing a major overhaul of its health system, while facing challenges related to a lack of human resources and limited capacity. The region currently has more than 2,000 doctors and nurses in the public sector, with a capacity of 2,700 beds, which is insufficient for a region as large as the East. This reform comes in response to the urgent need to improve the health care offer and promote proximity policy for the benefit of citizens and health professionals by modernizing reception and treatment facilities and working conditions.

Improving patient care conditions and enhancing the quality of services requires the construction and modernization of health institutions, as well as the constant evaluation of the performance of various medical, surgical and technical departments. Patients, in search of better services, are demanding to verify the availability of hospital units, human resources and the necessary equipment.

Investments exceeding 5.5 billion dirhams

To respond to these requirements, several projects have been launched in the East, some of which are already operational and others are under construction or in the process of being programmed. More than 5.5 billion dirhams have been allocated over the last decade to modernize and universalize reception facilities. The region includes a regional hospital center, eight regional hospitals, four new proximity hospitals completed in 2024/2025, 100 newly renovated urban and rural health centers, four proximity hospital centers, and two other large hospitals in Oujda (regional) and Nador on the horizon. An additional platform in Bouarfa will follow to meet the required standards.

Despite these efforts, the Minister of Health and Social Protection, Amine Tahraoui, was met during his recent visit to the region with strong demands from local residents, especially in Drouiche and Nador. The minister promised to accelerate projects, strengthen human resources and improve services. This has begun to materialize in the field of human resources with the appointment of 134 additional nurses for the provinces of Drayouche and Nador as part of the creation of financial positions for this year, in addition to the 550 financial positions for 2025 allocated to the region.

Regional Restructuring

The Eastern Province is completely rebuilding its health system by installing new structures to improve its services and solve the issue of human resources and proximity. In its initial phase, the territorial health cluster aims to pool human resources at the level of the region to respond to the real expectations of citizens, according to Ahmed Odish, regional director of the health sector. This new grouping is the result of dividing the region into two regions: Nador, Drouiche, Tawerirt and Kersef, centered around a sub-regional hospital in Silwan, and Oujda, Berkane, Jerada and Fajij, centered around the future regional hospital in Oujda.

This infrastructure boom also includes the construction of regional hospitals in Taourirt, Karsif, and a third in Jerada. The Berkane hospital will be renovated, while the Hassani hospital in Nador will be transformed into an oncology center once the sub-regional hospital in Silwan is completed in February 2026. As for the construction of the next regional hospital center in Oujda, work is expected to start in the first quarter of 2026, and will become operational within three years with a capacity of 150 beds, at a cost of 560 million dirhams. For its part, the Farabi Hospital, which is suffering from wear and tear, will be renovated in six months at a cost of 80 million dirhams.

A second hospital for Nador Province

The new regional hospital in Silwan required 550 million dirhams to complete, and is spread over a total area of 161,193 square meters, of which 26,562 square meters are covered, with a capacity of 250 beds. The project, completed at 80%, includes specialized units in surgery, general medicine, maternal and pediatric medicine, as well as emergency departments, a resuscitation unit, a surgical complex, a medical imaging facility, a laboratory, external consultations, a day hospital, a dental facility and other health and administrative annexes. It is scheduled for completion in February 2026, according to explanations provided to the minister during his recent visit to Nador.