A team of Chinese doctors has finished a two-year medical mission in Morocco after working in the country’s public hospitals. A farewell ceremony was held at the Ministry of Health and Social Protection. Chinese Ambassador to Morocco Yu Jinsong, Ministry Secretary General Dr Abdelkrim Meziane Bellefquih, representatives of Moroccan healthcare facilities and members of the Chinese medical mission attended the event.
The 197th Chinese Medical Mission is part of a health partnership that has lasted for more than 50 years.
Morocco and China signed their first health cooperation protocol in March 1975. Chinese medical teams have worked in public hospitals across the country ever since.
More than 1,500 Chinese medical professionals have served in Morocco through nearly 200 missions over the past five decades. The teams have provided millions of medical consultations and carried out hundreds of thousands of medical procedures.
Their work has covered general surgery, internal medicine, paediatrics, obstetrics and traditional Chinese medicine.
Many of the teams have been sent to provincial hospitals. Chinese doctors have worked alongside Moroccan medical staff, helping hospitals deal with staffing needs and providing specialised medical care outside the country’s main cities.
The cooperation has also moved beyond patient care. Chinese and Moroccan medical professionals have exchanged knowledge and experience, while Chinese teams have supported training and skills development for local healthcare workers.
Recent cooperation has included traditional Chinese medicine, medical equipment, mobile medical units and professional training.
The two countries marked 50 years of Chinese medical missions in Morocco in July 2025.
The anniversary programme included the opening of a Chinese Acupuncture Centre in Mohammedia, a cataract surgery campaign in Chefchaouen and the handover of three ambulances.
Health officials from both countries also discussed expanding cooperation into digital health, local pharmaceutical production and health security across Africa.
Shanghai has played a major role in sending medical teams to Morocco. Many Chinese doctors have come from the city and have worked in hospitals in different parts of the country.
The medical missions have also become part of wider health cooperation between China and African countries. China links this work to frameworks such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative.
The departure of the 197th mission does not mark the end of the partnership. China has committed to continuing and expanding health cooperation with Morocco.
