By M. Mahyawi – HIBAPRESS
The Moroccan Network for the Defense of the Right to Health and the Right to Life expressed its deep concern regarding the continuous rise in the number of deaths that could have been avoided if an effective and rapidly responsive emergency ambulance system were available, especially in cases of traffic accidents and critical health emergencies.
Official data showed that traffic accidents claimed the lives of 2,922 people during the period from January to August 2025, an increase of approximately 23.8% compared to the same period in 2024. Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in Morocco, accounting for approximately 23.4% of total deaths, in addition to a noticeable increase in deaths inside homes. The network confirmed that the absence of a unified and effective national emergency ambulance system is a major cause of these alarming figures, as a result of the weakness of mobile medical resuscitation services, and the significant delay in intervention during the crucial "golden hour" to save lives, whether in traffic accidents or emergencies such as heart attacks, strokes, severe bleeding, and difficulty breathing. The network also pointed out that a large percentage of deaths occur before reaching hospitals or during transport, due to the use of unequipped ambulances, the absence of specialized medical staff, and the weakness of vital first aid at the scene of the accident, which constitutes a direct infringement on the right to life. Despite the existence of the Medical Emergency Assistance (SAMU) experience, the network explained that it has not been generalized nationwide, and has known structural imbalances and large geographical disparities, in addition to the cessation of its work in some major university hospitals, despite the financial budgets allocated to it. The network indicated that emergency departments suffer from chronic overcrowding and a severe shortage of human resources, equipment, and life-saving medications. The network affirmed the continued paralysis of a number of modern ambulances that were purchased with huge budgets, in exchange for the health delegations' reliance on old cars that do not meet the minimum medical standards, which led to accidents that claimed the lives of patients and injured medical staff during the year 2025. The network also highlighted the existence of a severe shortage of specialized cadres in emergency medicine, and weak coordination between various actors, including civil protection, hospitals, local communities, and the private sector, and the continued operation of an old legal framework dating back to 1956, which no longer meets the requirements of emergency medical response. In light of this critical situation, the Moroccan network demanded a set of urgent measures, including: Enacting a national framework law that regulates the emergency ambulance system within an independent public institution, with clear governance and sustainable funding. Establishing a unified national call center that relies on modern technology to ensure the speed and effectiveness of intervention. Modernizing and generalizing the advanced ambulance fleet, with the adoption of strict time standards for intervention. Qualifying human resources through a national program to train specialized cadres in emergency medicine and emergency nursing. Reviewing the old legal and organizational framework to ensure full coordination between all actors. Including ambulance and emergency services within the compulsory health insurance (AMO) to ensure funding sustainability. The network concluded its statement by emphasizing that the reform of the emergency ambulance system is no longer a postponed option, but an urgent national necessity, as it is one of the basic pillars for protecting the right to life and saving thousands of lives that are being lost today due to delay, poor organization, and the absence of a decisive decision.
