The Head of Government chairs the first board of directors of the Casablanca-Settat Territorial Health Cluster

On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in Casablanca, the Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, chaired the inaugural Board of Directors meeting of the Casablanca-Settat Territorial Health Cluster (GST). This is the sixth of its kind to be held at the national level, following the meetings of the GSTs for the regions of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Rabat-Salé-Kenitra, Souss-Massa, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, and Fez-Meknes. These meetings are part of the ongoing implementation of the national health system reform and the generalization of the Territorial Health Cluster model across all regions of the Kingdom, in accordance with High Royal Directives.
During the meeting, the Head of Government emphasized that this Board is part of the implementation of High Royal Directives aimed at establishing a healthcare system that is closer to the citizens, provides higher quality services, and ensures greater equity. He stated that strengthening the regional governance of the health sector is a strategic choice for the government and an essential foundation for the reform of the national health system, intended to support the project of generalizing social protection and universal medical coverage.
The Head of Government noted in this regard that this Board of Directors is not merely a formal session for adopting resolutions, but a moment of strategic orientation. It aims to establish the Casablanca-Settat region as a model for the field implementation of health reform, to make the University Hospital Center (CHU) a driver of development, and to establish proximity of healthcare services as an effective right for citizens, with spatial equity as a fundamental criterion for success.
During the meeting, the action plan for the Territorial Health Cluster, the draft budget for the 2026 fiscal year, and the draft resolutions necessary for the launch of the Cluster's activities were presented and discussed. All these projects were adopted, establishing the practical foundations for integrated regional management of the healthcare offer, based on planning, coordination, and improving the quality of care for citizens.
The Cluster’s action plan is based on establishing the foundations of efficient regional governance, managing the transition period, continuing the upgrading of health infrastructure, and organizing care pathways. It also aims to strengthen the complementarity between primary healthcare facilities and provincial, regional, and university hospitals, in a way that improves the patient’s journey and brings health services closer to the people.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to emphasize the central role of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital Center in Casablanca as a national reference institution for specialized and highly specialized care, as well as a major space for training, scientific research, and medical innovation. It also highlighted the need to support this role by developing the university hospital offer within the region, in line with the needs and expectations of the population.
The Council acknowledged the importance of launching the project for the new Casablanca university hospital complex to strengthen the public healthcare offer in the Casablanca-Settat region, improve access to health services, and raise the quality of care for citizens. It emphasized the structural nature of the future Casablanca CHU as a project capable of reinforcing the public offer of reference care, increasing reception capacity, and responding sustainably to the evolving health pressures in the region.
The importance of healthcare human resources was also highlighted as an essential foundation for the success of this transition, through the mobilization of medical, nursing, and administrative skills, the improvement of working conditions, and the strengthening of training to effectively meet the needs of health facilities within the region.
Furthermore, emphasis was placed on the central role of primary healthcare facilities in the new model. As the first point of access to the health system, they serve as an essential lever for prevention, early diagnosis, and monitoring of chronic diseases, as well as the establishment of family medicine. This will help alleviate pressure on hospitals and bring services closer to citizens.
The importance of supporting this project through digital transition was also underlined as a lever for simplifying procedures, improving coordination between health facilities, and facilitating the care pathway for patients within the region.
The Casablanca-Settat region holds particular importance in this national project due to its demographic and strategic dimensions, with more than 7,688,000 inhabitants—representing 21% of the Kingdom's population—along with a high urbanization rate and growing pressure on health services, particularly at the major and reference hospital facilities.
The region possesses a significant public health offer, including 376 primary health facilities and a network of university, regional, provincial, and local hospitals with a total capacity of approximately 4,943 beds. However, the weight of demand and the diversification of health needs in the region necessitate a transition toward management characterized by greater coordination and efficiency, ensuring complementarity of services across different levels of care.
The meeting was attended by the Minister of Health and Social Protection; the Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Business, Employment, and Skills; the Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation; the Minister Delegate in charge of National Defense Administration; the Wali of the Casablanca-Settat Region; the President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council; the Director General of the Casablanca-Settat Territorial Health Cluster; and the Director General of the National Social Security Fund (CNSS).