The Coalition of Doctors’ Unions and Healthcare Providers, which brings together four leading professional organizations, expressed strong concern over the government’s decision to introduce financial penalties and criminal sanctions, including prison sentences, against healthcare professionals.
In a statement issued in Casablanca on August 5, 2026, and signed by the presidents of the National Union of Private Specialist Doctors, the National Union of Private Practice Doctors, the National Union of General Practitioners, and the National Association of Private Clinics, the coalition said that “introducing punitive measures into legislation governing the practice of medicine will have negative consequences for the healthcare system as a whole.”
According to the statement, the measures could deepen the shortage of medical professionals by discouraging young talent from entering the profession, prompting doctors approaching retirement to leave earlier, and undermining efforts to attract Moroccan and foreign doctors from abroad.
Concerns over cybersecurity and rising costs
The professional organizations also questioned the inclusion of doctors in legal proceedings arising from potential technical or human errors, or from the consequences of cyberattacks that could target the information system itself.
The statement referred to the previous leak of personal data at Morocco’s National Social Security Fund (CNSS), noting that the results of the investigation had not been made public and that no accountability had been established. It questioned whether any information system could be considered fully protected against cyberattacks.
The coalition further argued that while the CNSS is expected to generate an annual financial surplus of nearly MAD 400 million through the digitalization of medical records, “private-sector doctors will be required to make substantial investments in equipment, staffing, and training.”
According to the statement, these additional requirements would impose “heavy financial and psychological burdens” that could undermine the stability of private medical practices and clinics while putting healthcare professionals’ security at risk.
Calls for the bill to be withdrawn
The coalition contrasted the proposed legislation with the positive atmosphere that followed recent amendments to the law governing the National Council of Physicians, which were reinforced by the royal appointment of its president. By contrast, it argued that the new bill “creates a climate of pessimism within the medical profession.”
Read also : Staff shortages, outdated facilities strain Morocco’s forensic medicine system, lawmakers warn
Healthcare professionals also said the legislation runs counter to the nationwide mobilization aimed at ensuring the success of the royal social protection initiative and advancing healthcare reform.
The coalition therefore called on the government to “immediately reverse this step using the available legal procedures” and to heed the royal directives calling for greater confidence and optimism.
Government bets on a unified digital health system
Despite the concerns raised by healthcare professionals, the government views Bill No. 52.26, presented by the Minister of Health and Social Protection and approved by the Government Council on July 22, 2026, as a key step toward accelerating digital transformation and establishing a unified national framework for managing health data.
Through the bill, the government aims to create a centralized platform serving as the national reference for collecting and accessing health information by introducing three core components: a shared medical record, a national health identifier, and a unified public hospital information system. The objective is to improve the quality of healthcare services and strengthen coordination among stakeholders across the national health system.
