HIBAPRESS – Abdel Latif Baraka
Following the announcement of the formation of Fatima Zahra Al-Mansouri's government, in which the portfolio of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection was entrusted to Younes Bjiou, attention is now focused on the new minister's ability to address outstanding issues within the sector. Prominent among these is the file of Master's nursing graduates who have been awaiting reassignment for about a year, at a time when some Higher Institutes for Nursing Professions and Health Techniques are suffering from a shortage of educational staff.
This file presents the new minister with his first real test in managing one of the sectors most closely linked to the daily lives of Moroccans. The issue not only concerns administrative delays but also raises questions about how to leverage the trained competencies and the extent to which the needs of health training institutions can be reconciled with the expectations of those holding higher degrees.
After completing their academic training and defending their graduation research, graduates from the 2023-2025 Master's cohort from the Higher Institutes for Nursing Professions and Health Techniques are still in a state of anticipation regarding reassignment decisions, despite many months having passed since the completion of their academic and professional paths.
This file dates back to 2025, and has continued into 2026, raising questions about the reasons for the delay and the timeline for its resolution.
These questions become more acute in light of the shortage of professors and supervisors in some health training institutions, and difficulties in securing teaching for several specializations and study units. This situation opens a debate about the extent to which proactive human resource planning is adopted, linking training, assignment, and the actual needs of institutions.
The irony is that a number of Master's graduates possess academic qualifications in areas including the pedagogy of nursing sciences and health techniques, health services management and quality, as well as other clinical specializations. These competencies could contribute, depending on the nature of the specializations and needs, to strengthening pedagogical supervision and enhancing the quality of training and scientific research within the higher institutes.
Conversely, the redirection of some graduates from these programs to health vocational training institutes (IFPS) instead of utilizing their qualifications within the Higher Institutes for Nursing Professions and Health Techniques (ISPITS) sparks a discussion about the criteria used in distributing staff.
Each institution has its own missions and training objectives, making it imperative that the distribution of human resources is based on the nature of the degrees, specializations, and acquired competencies, as well as the actual needs of each institution.
This brings forth a fundamental question: How can we explain the continued waiting of Master's degree holders at a time when some higher institutes face a shortage of specialized staff? Has there been sufficient coordination between the departments responsible for training and the Human Resources Directorate to define priorities and direct competencies towards institutions that need them?
The importance of this file is not limited to the educational aspect but extends to the management of the administrative and professional paths of this group, especially in light of Decree No. 2.25.1065, published in the Official Bulletin on January 19, 2026, concerning new provisions for higher health cadres. This regulatory development raises questions about how to implement the relevant provisions, resolve administrative situations, and ensure consistency between academic qualifications and professional responsibilities.
In light of these developments, attention is directed to the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, particularly the Human Resources Directorate, to clarify the reasons for the continued delay in reassignment, the criteria adopted for selecting host institutions, and the extent to which the recorded shortage of educational staff in the Higher Institutes for Nursing Professions and Health Techniques is taken into account.
Furthermore, revealing the actual needs of these institutions for professors and supervisors, and identifying specializations experiencing a shortage of human resources, remains a crucial step towards addressing the issue based on accurate data, far from any distribution that does not consider consistency between academic training and the requirements of supervision.
On a social level, the continued waiting exacerbates the ambiguity experienced by a number of graduates, particularly concerning their assignment locations, professional and family stability, and the potential geographical relocation and additional commitments.
Given this situation, demands are increasing to expedite the issuance of reassignment decisions, adopt clear and transparent criteria based on competence, specialization, and pedagogical needs, and study the possibility of directing qualified staff for teaching and supervision to institutions suffering from a shortage in their specializations, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
For the new minister, Younes Bjiou, addressing this file will be an early indicator of his ability to reorder human resource management priorities within the sector, shifting the discussion from mere promises and administrative measures to practical solutions that meet the expectations of graduates and the needs of training institutions.
Will the Ministry of Health and Social Protection succeed in closing this stalled file and achieving a balance between the rights of graduates and the requirements of pedagogical supervision? Or will the waiting continue despite the need for qualified competencies?
