29 MARTINDALE CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF PRIVATE ENTERPRISE choosing where to work and which sector to work in. For example, even with the introduction of improved training for general practitioners, many students still prefer to become specialists. This preference is driven by the fact that in the public sector specialist salaries are 50% higher than general practitioners’ salaries. Although having a multitude of specialists might seem beneficial, it restricts the availability of basic essential care in both urban and rural areas, across public and private sectors (Fourtassi et al., 2021). Even though efforts can be made to advance the current medical school training process and curriculum, financial incentives play a crucial role in determining students’ career choices. Inadequate monetary compensation remains a primary barrier to UHC. Recommendations To counter the current barriers to UHC, Morocco will need to adopt a multifaceted approach. First and foremost, to achieve the success and accessibility of the UHC plan for all individuals in Morocco, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the King must prioritize expanding existing resources and addressing the underlying causes of health-care inequalities. Given the missed target of providing UHC by 2022, Morocco needs to realign its priorities. The country should concentrate on identifying the factors that contribute to health inequities, namely the social determinants of health. These determinants encompass nonmedical elements, such as socioeconomic, demographic, and cultural factors that include education, housing, age, occupation, and food access, all of which significantly influence individual health outcomes. Morocco should focus on these determinants as a key aspect of its healthcare strategy (WHO, 2021). Bouzaidi and Ragbi (2024) performed an analysis of access to healthcare services in Morocco and an individual’s social determinants of health. Their study revealed that individual demographic and socioeconomic factors do significantly affect behavior when it comes to seeking care. As a result, public education programs and campaigns should be created to educate policymakers on the effects that determinants of health have on an individual’s overall well-being. Furthermore, as highlighted by Mahdaoui and Kissani (2023), it is crucial to establish a collaborative system that fosters cooperation between the public and private health-care sectors. This collaboration would enable the pooling of resources to bridge the gaps in healthcare provision, particularly in public and rural hospitals. Morocco must recognize the disparities between urban and rural resources and develop comprehensive plans that ensure equitable health-care services regardless of the geographical location of health facilities. Collaboration can also help establish a PHC approach across all facilities. Second, initiatives aimed at enhancing the current retention rate of Moroccan medical students and encouraging them to practice within the country are crucial. Medical students completing their studies in Morocco and then choosing to practice medicine abroad pose a disadvantage to Morocco’s healthcare system, requiring the training of more doctors than necessary. Various measures can be implemented to address this issue, such as increasing wages for students who choose to remain in the hospital where they underwent training and imposing financial obligations on students moving abroad for practice. Moreover, offering benefits like housing, child support, and improved work amenities for those who study and practice medicine in Morocco can motivate them to stay. Training guidelines for the sixyear schooling plan need to be identified to decrease student stress regarding the workload students now must complete in their sixth year (Tachfine, 2023). A collaborative effort among medical schools and hospitals is needed to create definitive guidelines, assuring students that they can complete their degree in six years without overwhelming stress. Third, to address the existing gaps between rural and urban access to care, Morocco needs to turn to possible alternatives and ways to restructure the availability of resources. One way to address the shortage of health professionals, especially in rural areas, is the introduction of telemedicine. Providing training to residents in rural areas on using telehealth applications and scheduling appointments can empower them to access medical advice irrespective of location. Telemedicine, available to 90.7% of Morocco’s internet-using population in 2024, offers a practical alternative when traveling to a clinic is not feasible (Galal, 2024). To attract doctors to rural areas, incentives such as free housing, grocery stipends, and financial support can be introduced. Additionally, keeping obligations in medical school training to work in a regional hospital for a specified duration can expose them to general practitioner roles. This initiative would help decrease the chances that patients need further specialized care because general practitioners are readily available and continued care easily accessible. The driving force behind decreasing staffing shortages, however, is the availability of funds, which can be expanded to augment salaries and enhance the quality of
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