Morocco expands medical assistance

After completing a two-year trial run, Morocco's subsidized healthcare program will soon be available across the country.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 23/12/10

Two years after Morocco's medical support program for the poor began as a pilot project in Tadla Azilal, RAMED will finally go nationwide next month.

"To ensure the scheme is successfully rolled out, the health ministry has made a lot of changes, including increasing the drugs purchasing budget to 1.4 billion dirhams in 2010, compared with 50 million dirhams in 2008," Health Minister Yasmina Baddou said.

Despite some delays, she said the program has been a success.

RAMED will release many people from the obligation of presenting a certificate to prove poverty before receiving free treatment at state-run health centers.

The medical assistance is aimed at 8.5 million Moroccans, 4.5 million of whom are in relative poverty, with the remaining 4 million in absolute poverty. Among the beneficiaries are 100,000 prison inmates, orphans and homeless.

So far, 54,734 assistance cards have been issued, benefiting 185,600 people at a combined cost of 22 million dirhams (2 million euros) for patients. Three committees are about to complete their work looking into how the program will be targeted, managed and financed.

"This is a social project which will allow many members of the public on limited incomes to save on the cost of care and spend the money on other necessities of life," MP Mohamed Azzab Zeghay told Magharebia.

But the government has fallen well behind schedule for rolling out RAMED, he added.

El Hajja Fatma, 62, has been receiving assistance through RAMED in Azilal since 2008: "With my card I can get free care and some free prescriptions. Things have changed, but of course you always hope they could be better. Now I don't need to think twice about seeing the doctor if I feel under the weather."

"Without help from my family and friends, I wouldn't be able to pay for care or medicines, either for me or for members of my family," street vendor Zhora Mustapha said. "We only see a doctor if we're really ill. RAMED will allow people like me to look after their health and look after their families too."

Other people have doubts about the government being able to roll out the RAMED scheme in 2011.

"All the ministers do is make promises. The roll-out should have happened last year," exclaimed Karim Mediouni, a seasonal worker who hopes to be included in the plan.

But according to the health ministry, everything is ready and a training plan for RAMED staff has been formalized. The creation of eligibility committees across the provinces will make it possible to target assistance directly to those in need.

The program will cost 2.5 billion dirhams (225 million euros) a year, 75% of which will come from the state, 6% from local authorities, and 19% from beneficiaries. Recipients will pay a contribution of 120 dirhams per eligible person, with a ceiling of 600 dirhams per household. The government will pay 40 dirhams on behalf of those in absolute poverty.

Source: Magharebia.com.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2010/12/23/feature-01.