The protest movement of medical students in Rabat, Morocco, is taking a judicial turn. Twenty-eight students, including representatives of the student office, resident doctors, and interns at the University Hospital Center (CHU), were brought before the prosecutor of the first instance this Friday.
They are accused of “disobedience, failure to comply with the orders of the authorities, and unauthorized assembly”. The prosecution has decided to release them provisionally, but the hearings will begin on October 23.
A growing mobilization
The situation has worsened after the dispersal of medical students’ sit-ins in Rabat this week. The National Committee of Internists and Residents (CNIR) responded by denouncing “flagrant violations” and “repressive methods.”
In a statement, the CNIR condemned the arrest of several internal doctors and announced a warning strike excluding emergency, on-call, and intensive care services. This strike is to extend from September 27 to October 1 to protest against the violations observed.
In support of this mobilization, the CNIR also called on interns and residents to gather around the local offices of the Committee and to participate in the demonstrations which will be held in different cities.
Solidarity and call for dialogue
The National Commission of Students in Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy of Morocco (CNEMEP) also expressed solidarity with the arrested students. For their part, more than seven trade unions and health professional organizations have called on the government to open a dialogue to ease tensions, particularly after the two dispersed gatherings in Rabat.
In response to these demands, the Ministry of Higher Education announced a series of measures, particularly for the pharmacy sector. However, these announcements were not enough to appease the anger of interns and residents, who joined the protests by launching a five-day strike.
The repression of sit-ins
The CNIR – National Committee of Internists and Residents has strongly criticized the use of “repressive methods,” citing “physical and verbal” repression against the demonstrators. This rise in tension reflects a deep malaise within the health sector in Morocco.
The situation in Rabat, beyond the demands of medical students, reveals an urgent need for dialogue and reform in the field of medical training and the working conditions of health practitioners.
