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Dental medicine students in Casablanca have announced a march on Thursday, April 2, 2026, from the Faculty of Dental Medicine to the Dental Examination and Treatment Center (CCDT). The protest targets clinical training conditions, particularly the requirement for students to purchase their own medical equipment. In a statement released Monday, the association described the move as «a first step» toward «public training and healthcare services that meet citizens’ expectations».
The initiative comes amid what students describe as «major obstacles» affecting the core of their training and undermining commitments to student rights and the quality of patient care. They argue that there is broad institutional agreement on the need to provide proper medical equipment at the CCDT, part of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital, in line with regulations prohibiting the use of unsupervised instruments. However, they say this effort is being «blocked by the hospital administration».
Reform and payment delays under fire
Student representatives also point to what they call «a regressive reform» governing pre-hospital practical training. According to them, the new framework requires students to cover the cost of their equipment during internships, marking «a clear setback from gains secured through years of student mobilization».
They warn that the lack of proper equipment not only undermines training conditions but also jeopardizes patients’ right to safe and precise care. «Modern practice now requires advanced, complex, and costly technical tools», they stress, raising concerns over the institution’s professional and ethical responsibilities.
Beyond Casablanca, the issue has mobilized other student groups. In a joint statement released Tuesday, dental students were joined by pharmacy students and the city’s Medical Students Council to denounce «unjustified delays» in the payment of stipends for internships carried out since September 2025, which were supposed to be paid in early January 2026.
Sit-in announced ahead of march
Students report repeated delays and unfulfilled promises. «Authorities recently assured that all pending files would be processed within two weeks, with no further delays, and that payments would be made», the statement reads. However, according to the signatories, the payment process was halted «just days after it began, without any official explanation».
Ahead of the April 2 march, the three student bodies have announced a sit-in on Thursday, March 26, at 1:00 p.m., in front of the Regional Directorate of Health and Social Protection in Casablanca.
The National Commission of Students in Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Pharmacy (CNEMEP) has also weighed in, highlighting similar concerns in Fez. The commission pointed to «shortcomings in clinical training», even as internships are about to begin, citing temporary facilities, a limited number of treatment chairs, and a lack of clarity surrounding the CCDT project.
Ongoing mobilization
More broadly, the commission stressed that recent gains «are only one step in a longer process of mobilization» for a more equitable and higher-quality training system. It also flagged new challenges, particularly those related to the reform of the third cycle of medical training and its academic and professional implications.
