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Dial 141 or 15 to call an ambulance in Morocco

Morocco: Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services

AT-A-GLANCE

DIAL 141 or 15 TO CALL AN AMBULANCE IN MOROCCO

  • In 2014 the ministry of health reported plans to have eight call centers across the country using the number 141 by 2016; ambulances would be dispatched from nearest hospitals
  • 15 is the number of the Civil Protection / Fire Department
  • There is surprisingly little published about emergency care in Morocco other than government press releases, but it seems that emergency care has become a topic of interest for the government of the past few years and they will be trying to replicate the French model of doctor-based ambulance services

HOW CAN I CALL AN AMBULANCE IN MOROCCO?

DIAL 141 TO CALL AN AMBULANCE IN MOROCCO (formerly 15 for the fire department/civil protection)

It’s very doubtful. 141 and/or 15 seem to be accessible in major cities, but we’ve been very hard-pressed to get any verifiable data. The only information about call centers available on the Moroccan Civil Protection website was a cut-and-paste article from Wikipedia  about the French SAMU call centers.

Aside from 141 and 15, here are additional numbers that may assist in finding emergency assistance in Morocco:

Ground Ambulance in Morocco

  • Casablanca:
    • SAMU.ma: +212 5 22 25 25 25
  • Marrakech
    • AZNAG Assistance medicale et service d urgence MAROC: +212661 63 22 14
    • Service Privé D’Assistance Médicale Urgente: +212 5 24 43 30 30
  • Rabat
    • SAMU de Rabat: +212 5 37 73 37 44
  • Tangier

Air Ambulance in Morocco

No, not really. It’s hard to say because none of the official releases can be backed up by verifiable data, but from the published literature that does exist, Moroccan emergency responders are severely undertrained and under-equipped.

It is very difficult to confirm the accuracy of claims made by the Moroccan government. While there are plenty of official pronouncements describing their participation in relief efforts, particularly regarding the winter freezes of 2014, the published literature and direct observations of foreign tourists and Peace Corps Volunteers leads us to question the authenticity of government press releases. Efforts to obtain verifiable information from the Moroccan Civil Protection and Red Crescent have not received any reply. In general, it seems that the government vehicles that do exist are maintained in “Parade-ready” condition.

Ground Ambulance in Morocco

The Moroccan Ministry of Health has reported that more than 2100 ambulances provide emergency transport nationwide (45% of which belong to the ministry of health) though these numbers are far below the needs of the population.

In April 2015, the Moroccan ministry of health distributed 138 ambulances to multiple regions and provinces, specifically:

  • 20 Type « A+ » ambulances: presumably equipped to advanced life support (ALS)
  • 30 Type « A » ambulances: presumably equipped to advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) level
  • 73 Type « B » ambulances: Ambulances dotées de matériel de premier secours.
  • 15 ambulances neonatal transport ambulances

Whether these are used for prehospital emergency care or for inter-facility transfers only is unclear from the ministry of health’s press release.

The Ministry of Health has also stated intentions of implement 15 doctor-driven mobile response units (known by their French acronym, SMUR) to make house calls in the thirteen regions, accessible through the same 141 number.

A 2011 evaluation by Tachfouti et al. of trauma care services at a university teaching hospital in Fez reported that “most of the prehospital care was provided by ordinary ambulances lacking basic equipment required for resuscitation” and that Specialized ambulances (presumed to be an ALS ambulance equivalent to the French SMUR vehicle) carried only the following materials and supplies:

Intubation equipment
Incision and drainage apparatus
Fluid administration material
Peripheral venous canula
Transfusion kits
Stretcher
Wheelchair

Air Ambulance in Morocco

Air ambulance services by helicopter (“HeliSMUR”) were also scheduled to be opened by 2016.

According to the Moroccan Ministry of Health:

  • 118 out of the country’s 142 public hospitals had 24-7 emergency care available provided by generalist physicians supported by some specialists.
  • Emergency departments are visited by more than 4 million patients each yaer with an annual increase of 10%
  • By 2016 80 urgent care clinics (“80 unités pour ces urgences médicales de proximité”) would be opened in areas of limited access

“Although some initial emergency medical treatment may be given free, British nationals are likely to be charged for most expenses incurred in Morocco, including tests and investigations, medication and overnight stays in hospital, whether state or private.” – Telegraph.co.uk (15 July 2008)

ADDITIONAL INFO

Common Emergencies in Morocco

  • Road traffic injuries
  • Security threats

Recommended Vaccinations for Morocco

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), different groups of travelers will require different vaccinations for travel in Morocco:

  • All Travelers:
    • Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine
    • Diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine
    • Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine
    • Polio vaccine
    • Your yearly flu shot
  • Most Travelers:
    • Hepatitis A
    • Typhoid
  • Some Travelers:
    • Hepatitis B
    • Rabies

Read more about travel in Morocco at the CDC website:  https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/morocco/ (Last accessed: Aug. 7, 2017)

The Ministry of Health oversees the SAMU emergency medical system.

The Ministry of the Interior oversees the Civil Protection/Fire Department

  • Belayachi J et al: “Violence toward physicians in emergency departments of Morocco: prevalence, predictive factors, and psychological impact.” Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology. 2010;5:27.
  • Kandry Rodre, Zineb. Le SMUR primaire : Bilan du SAMU régional de Marrakech et perspectives de développement. Thesis project; University of Marrakech School of Medicine (Oct. 2015). Available at: https://wd.fmpm.uca.ma/biblio/theses/annee-htm/FT/2015/these145-15.pdf
  • Ministère de la Santé: “Three objectives and ten measures for the reorganization and development of emergency medical services in Morocco, 2012-2016.” Moroccan Ministry of Health. Available at: https://www.uh1.ac.ma/system/files/plan%20d%27action%20des%20urgences%202012%202016.pdf
  • Tachfouti, N et al: “Emergency trauma care for severe injuries in a Moroccan region: conformance to French and World Health Organization standards.” Journal for Healthcare Quality 2011;33(1):30-38.

SCOREBOARD

% of Seriously Injured Transported by Ambulance in Morocco, 2013

> 75%

[Source: 2013 Global Status Report on Road Safety, WHO]

% of Fatal Road Traffic Injuries Occurring On-Scene or En Route to Hospital

> 80%

[Source: Ministère de l’Équipement et des Transports, 2009]

ROAD TRAFFIC INJURY DEATHS
(PER 100,000 POPULATION)

[Source: 2015 Global Status Report on Road Safety, WHO]

REPORTED HOMICIDES
(PER 100,000 POPULATION)

[Source: 2014 Global Status Report on Violence Prevention, WHO-UNDP]

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