HIBAPRESS – By A. Mahyawi
Ifrane province witnessed, on the night of Sunday, December 28, 2025, three simultaneous humanitarian interventions, which resulted in the rescue of critical health cases in both the Asmar and Tamdroust areas, in addition to the emergency care of a pregnant woman, amid a severe cold wave and heavy snowfall that isolated a number of mountainous areas.
These interventions came within the framework of the "Care" operation, which involves a comprehensive mobilization to address the effects of exceptional climatic conditions, where the rescue of an elderly man in the Asmar area, which belongs to the Wad Ifrane community, coincided with the transfer of a patient in a very critical health situation in the city of Tamdroust, in addition to the urgent intervention for the benefit of a pregnant woman whose health condition required immediate transfer to the 20 August Hospital in Azrou.
Regarding the Asmar area operation, the local authorities received, on Saturday, December 27, a notification about the deterioration of the health condition of an elderly person residing in a rugged area that is difficult to access, at a time when the weather conditions prevented the use of the air helicopter due to the absence of safety conditions.
On the morning of Sunday, December 28, under the direct supervision of the governor of Ifrane province, the emergency intervention plan was activated, through precise coordination that brought together the Wad Ifrane command, civil protection, the Royal Gendarmerie, auxiliary forces, the Directorate of Equipment, and health services, with the harnessing of important logistical means that included a snowmobile, a large bulldozer, snowplows, and specialized ice removal equipment.
However, the thickness of the snow, which exceeded two meters in some sections, prevented the progress of the vehicles, forcing the intervention teams to walk a distance of more than four kilometers on foot, in sub-zero temperatures, to reach the patient's home.
On the spot, the patient was provided with health care and the necessary first aid, which enabled his safe transfer to the 20 August Hospital in Azrou, where he underwent the necessary examinations and treatments and was placed under continuous medical supervision.
At the same time, other health teams affiliated with the delegation of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in Ifrane, the rural health center of the second level and the emergency services in Tamdroust, began the transfer of a patient in a very critical condition while ensuring the continuity of treatments during the transfer, and a pregnant woman was also taken care of whose condition required close follow-up and urgent transfer, where the two cases were directed to the 20 August Hospital, which remained in a state of full readiness to receive emergency cases throughout the cold wave.
The governor of Ifrane province, along with members of the regional command center, followed these operations closely, where he personally went to the hospital and gave strict instructions on the need to provide all forms of necessary medical care, within the framework of concern for the health and safety of citizens, especially vulnerable groups residing in the mountainous areas.
At the heart of these three interventions, the pivotal role of the delegation of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in the Ifrane province emerged, which mobilized mobile medical and nursing teams that remained in a state of constant readiness.
These successful operations reflect the efficiency of field coordination between the various interveners, and confirm the strategic importance of the health sector within the emergency intervention system during climatic crises, and also embody the humanitarian approach adopted by the regional authorities, in harmony with the high directives of King Mohammed VI, aimed at protecting lives and ensuring the right to health and social protection, especially in the difficult climatic conditions that the country is experiencing.
