Representatives of Moroccan civil society organizations (CSOs) working to promote the right to health, have called on the Minister of Health to accept them in the development of response plans against Covid-19.
“For better national mobilization in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is necessary to involve civil society actors in the development of response plans, to promote community approaches – which have proven to be very effective – and the effective integration of civil society in this fight, as an essential stakeholder in the Moroccan health system,” a letter sent by these organizations to the Minister of Health, Khalid Ait Taleb reads.
Astonished and deeply disappointed that civil society was excluded from the outpatient management strategy for suspected and confirmed cases of Covid-19, the signatories to the letter stress that the current health, social and economic conditions, attributable to the Covid-19 pandemic, require the mobilization of all available resources for synergy of action, to reduce the effects of this unprecedented health crisis on citizens.
“For them, the role played by the health sector, whether civilian or military, in the screening and management of Covid-19 cases is undeniably essential and vital. But, as indicated in one of your statements, relating to the current context characterized by the increase in new infections, by the fact that nearly 20 percent of the cases of infection which reach intensive care units do not suffer from no chronic disease, that they are not necessarily elderly and that 20 percent of all patients die within a few hours of being admitted to the emergency room,” it is necessary to mobilize all the active forces of the nation by bringing in the expertise of civil society actors who have proven their civic commitment and their effectiveness for decades in the national effort to fight against major public health problems.
“It is more than ever necessary to include civil society organizations working in the field of the promotion of the right to health in the national strategy against the Covid-19, on the basis of the experience they have gained in terms of screening and management of chronic diseases, their community health approaches which are based on proximity in the provision of services, while respecting the requirements of the specifications drawn up by the competent authorities,” the organizations added.
The objective is to protect the most vulnerable groups, particularly exposed to serious health complications linked to SARS-Cov-2, and to increase the logistical capacity to carry out Covid-19 screening tests among them.
They conclude that it is necessary to include community-based health approach by involving civil society actors working in the field of the promotion of the right to health and who are able to ensure rapid serological screening of the Covid-19, guidance and support for suspected or confirmed cases followed on an outpatient basis in perfect synergy and in close collaboration with hospital structures, health and administrative authorities.
HA/fss/as/APA