Addressing Morocco's medical brain drain : Driss El Yazami advocates global dialogue
Driss El Yazami, president of the Council of the Moroccan Community Abroad (CCME), called for «an active international policy» to strengthen dialogue with global organizations and attract medical expertise, both national and foreign, to address Morocco's healthcare worker shortage. Speaking at a study day organized by the Istiqlalian group on the migration of Moroccan medical professionals, he stressed the importance of a «territorial policy involving regions and communities».
The event gathered Minister of Higher Education Azzedine El Midaoui, former Health Ministers Houcine El Ouardi and Abdelouahed El Fassi, medical faculty deans, doctors, and members of the second Chamber. El Yazami advocated for «openness to foreign talents» and promoting the «Moroccan dream» as a means to strengthen ties between Moroccans worldwide and their homeland.
He highlighted that physician mobility is a global phenomenon, not unique to Morocco, urging avoidance of "alarmist approaches" in favor of proactive national and international strategies. Migration, he said, «is neither a crime nor a scourge but a fundamental right and a reflection of deep social changes in Moroccan society».
El Yazami noted that migration reasons extend beyond economics to include personal fulfillment, emphasizing the crucial role of Moroccan talents abroad in shaping the debate. The CCME insists that citizens abroad should be «fully integrated into discussions about Morocco's future, especially regarding health, education, and public policy».
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