Refused admission at Salé hospital, she gives birth on the tram and loses her baby: the case reaches Parliament

The case was brought before the chamber through a written question detailing the chronology of the tragedy, which occurred on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. A woman arrived at around four p.m. at Moulay Abdellah Hospital in Salé. However, the facility rejected her admission. The reason given by the administration was reportedly that the working hours of the only obstetrician-gynecologist on duty had ended.

To read: Morocco: refused admission at the hospital, a woman gives birth on a tramway

In accordance with the procedures, the patient was directed to the maternity ward of Moulay Youssef Hospital in Rabat. It was during this transfer journey that the contractions intensified. The mother ultimately gave birth to her child inside a tramway carriage, under the gaze of passengers. Unfortunately, the infant did not survive and died shortly after birth.

A critical shortage of medical staff in Salé

The parliamentary question once again highlights the structural shortcomings of Moulay Abdellah Hospital. According to the MP, the facility suffers from a serious staff shortage, with only one specialist in obstetrics and gynecology. This shortage prevents the establishment of an on-call or nighttime duty system, while the city of Salé has only six doctors specializing in this field for all of its public facilities.

To read: A woman gives birth at a Rabat-Salé tramway station

In light of this situation, Abdellah Bouanou called for an investigation to determine responsibility for this refusal of emergency care. He also questioned the ministry about the measures planned to strengthen medical staffing in Salé and ensure continuity of public service, particularly by activating a genuine on-call system.