Graduates specializing in operating room nursing have expressed concern over the limited number of positions available in recent public recruitment competitions, arguing that the vacancies do not reflect the investment made by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection in training this category of healthcare professionals.
According to the graduates, the ministry allocated 240 training seats nationwide in 2023 to prepare specialized operating room nurses as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare human resources and improve the quality of surgical services in public hospitals. They argue, however, that recruitment opportunities have not matched the scale of this investment.
Based on figures cited by the graduates, only around 60 positions have been opened, including 11 posts in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Fès-Meknès regions, 15 posts in Souss-Massa, 13 posts in Casablanca-Settat, and 10 posts in Drâa-Tafilalet, leaving hundreds of graduates competing for a limited number of vacancies.
The graduates also expressed surprise that no positions were allocated to their specialty in the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra and Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab regions, as well as at Ibn Rochd University Hospital, arguing that this significantly limits employment opportunities for qualified professionals.
They called for the recruitment of all graduates from the operating room nursing specialty, alongside graduates from other healthcare disciplines, in order to make full use of trained professionals, help address staffing shortages across the national healthcare system, and improve the quality of healthcare services.