06/05/2007
The Moroccan Government will allocate 80 million euros for several development programmes to improve the performance of regional healthcare structures, local press reported on Saturday (May 5th). Health Minister Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah signed six programme contracts with regional governments which are to be implemented as of the second half of 2007. Funds have been allocated to Casablanca (31m euros), Doukkala-Abda (8m euros), Tadla-Azilal (6m euros), Taza-Al Hoceima-Taounate (16m euros), Oriental (8.4m euros) and Marrakech-Tansift Al Haouz (9.6m euros). Biadillah said the government plans to further invest 120m euros in these types of programmes in 2008 and an additional 100m euros in 2009. According to Finance and Economy Minister Fathallah Oualalou, the move officially opened the administrative decentralisation of the healthcare sector and "will contribute to improve the availability and quality of medical care in the national health system".