"Now, Morocco’s newest telehealth initiatives are taking advantage so the latest technology to bring better access to care. The gradual roll-out of his technology will mean that patients can connect and consult remotely with clinicians, improving care and outcomes," wrote Colin Mackay in a story entitled "Morocco: A Telehealth Success Story."

According to the author, telemedicine in Morocco also has the potential to deal with health emergencies and bridge immediate gaps in care that exist with current mechanisms and arrangements.

"It’s an impressive and well-planned development; something that can act as a showcase for the country," he said, adding that "in order to maximize the success of this initiative, Morocco pursued a three-stage deployment process."

"The first of these, initiated in 2018, was to demonstrate a 'proof-of-concept’ (POC) in six rural communities. In the second phase, which is currently ongoing until 2021, this concept is being extended to cover some 40 local sites. Four of these have been operational since March 2020, with a further eight currently being deployed," Mackay wrote.

In the final step, between 2021-25, deployment plan will be expanded to a national scale as it will cover more than 120 rural communities covering some 80% of the most at-risk populations - approximately 1.3 million people – with teleconsultation medical facilities, he added.

Quoting, Saad Chaacho, Executive Director of the Moroccan Telemedicine Society (SMT), "Parliament Magazine" noted that "telemedicine appears to offer the ideal response to the specific health challenges of Morocco, with its unique geographical issues."

"It will allow increased access to basic healthcare for rural populations that normally suffer as a result of their isolation and lack of qualified medical staff," the publication added.

"In the long term, we do believe that Morocco and the European countries can unify their efforts and experiences, taking joint actions for launching of similar telemedicine initiatives designed to meet the actual needs of the African counties," it concluded.