Healthcare
Marrakech has long been an important centre for healthcare in Morocco, and many rural people in the region are reliant upon hospitals in the city, in addition to the urban population.
The psychiatric hospital installed by the Merinid Caliph Ya'qub al-Mansur in the 16th century was described by the historian 'Abd al-Wahfd al- Marrakushi as one of the greatest in the world at the time. A strong Andalusian influence was evident in the hospital, and many of the physicians to the Caliphs came from places such as Seville, Zaragoza and Denia in eastern Spain.
A severe strain has been placed upon the healthcare facilities of the city in the last decade as the city population has grown dramatically. Ibn Tofail University Hospital is one of the major hospitals of the city. In February 2001 the Moroccan Government signed an $8 million loan agreement with the The OPEC Fund for International Development to help improve medical services in and around Marrakech, which led to expansions of Ibn Tofail and Ibn Nafess Hospital. Seven new buildings were constructed, with a total floor area of 43,000 square metres (460,000 sq ft). New radiotherapy and medical equipment was provided and 29,000 square metres (310,000 sq ft) of existing hospital space rehabilitated.
In 2009, King Mohammed VI inaugurated a regional psychiatric hospital in Marrakech, built by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, costing 22 million dirhams ($2.7 million). The hospital has 194 beds, covering an area of 3 hectares (7.4 acres). Mohammed has also announced plans for the construction of a 450 million dirham military hospital in Marrakech.
Read more about this topic: Marrakesh