People living in and around Tamanar now have a new public hospital closer to home after the government officially opened the facility on Monday.
Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, Health Minister Amine Tehraoui and Essaouira Governor Mohammed Rachid launched services at the new Tamanar Proximity Hospital. They also reviewed plans to expand the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah Provincial Hospital and build a new provincial hospital in Essaouira city.
“The government is working to accelerate the rehabilitation of health infrastructure and bring services closer to citizens, improve reception, guidance and the quality of patient care, and ensure equitable access to healthcare services,” Akhannouch said.
The new hospital covers more than 30,000 square metres and cost more than 126 million dirhams ($13.8 million) to build.
It will serve around 86,000 people living across 15 local communities. The hospital has 83 healthcare professionals and offers both primary and specialist care, reducing the need for patients to travel to other towns for treatment.
Officials also reviewed plans to upgrade the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah Provincial Hospital in Essaouira.
The first phase of the project covers more than 31,000 square metres of land, including about 9,000 square metres of buildings. It has a budget of more than 83 million dirhams ($9.1 million) and will increase capacity to 167 beds.
Work is due to start at the end of July and is expected to take about eight months.
The upgraded hospital will provide general medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, laboratory services, maternity care, neonatal care, rehabilitation and orthopaedic surgery. The project also includes new technical, logistics and administrative facilities.
Officials also presented plans for a new provincial hospital in Essaouira city.
The hospital will be built on a 10-hectare site with nearly 48,000 square metres of covered space. It will have 280 beds and an estimated cost of around 890 million dirhams ($97 million).
Construction is expected to begin before the end of 2026.
The hospital will include operating theatres, intensive care, resuscitation and neonatal units, outpatient clinics, medical imaging, laboratories, a pharmacy, an emergency department, and medical, administrative and logistics units.
