MERIMI, Dr Sanaa
Morocco - Family doctor
What work do you do now?
I am a general practitioner and have been practicing in the private sector for the last 20 years. I have dedicated 15 years of my practice to developing a new community health approach.
Since 2012, I have been a “maître de stage”, (training supervisor), and as such, I take medical students in my clinic, introducing them private general practice. I collaborate with the medical faculty of Rabat introducing new innovative courses in communication and supervised training for medical students in health centres.
I have also been involved in post graduate medical training, since 2013, working on programs that aim to develop the capacities of young doctors working in the private sector: patient communication, social responsibility, health education, management.
I am interested in initiating research about and with the general practitioners in Morocco.
Other interesting things you have done?
For 11 years I have worked on the “Maison de Santé Albalsam” (Health Care Home) - an adaptation of the “family medicine clinic concept” to include health promotion and population health activities. I'm dedicating the next three years to promote this new non profit private practice in the health system specially for low income communities.
I am the founder of a “L’initiative Vers l‘Unité Pour la Santé (VUPS)” which is a Towards Unity for Health (TUFH) initiative in Morocco. It is a network, promoting the linking of all the parts of the health system. I launched the first VUPS initiative during the Covid period and the theme was the positioning of the private general practitioner in the anti-Covid response. This brought together various stakeholders: the population, academics, managers, health professionals.
What is it like to be a family doctor in Morocco?
It’s a little bit difficult, because there is no specific curriculum for family medicine, although a medical curriculum reform is taking place in Morocco to include family medicine as a specialisation. It seems that it will take more than a lifetime. However, a strong training program for GPs centred on the needs of patients and communities can balance out the delay of the reform. For twenty years now we have been looking at concepts and practical models.
Your interests at work and privately?
My interests at work are to develop critical thinking in daily medical practice and not only in a scientific setting. Privately, I appreciate writing and enjoying time with my family.