This new department, which began providing its services gradually, and then fully since last September, was established on a total area of 11,500 square metres.
This new facility aims to provide care for various emergency cases, with a primary focus on treating serious injuries, in order to meet the needs of patients arriving at the centre from within and outside the city of Casablanca.
The Director of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca, Moulay Hicham Afif, highlighted that the new emergency department is distinguished by having two main entrances to facilitate patient access, explaining that one of the entrances overlooks Ceuta Street and is dedicated to receiving patients arriving by ambulance, while the other overlooks Tariq Ibn Ziad Street and is dedicated to pedestrians.
He highlighted, in a statement to the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP), that upon entering the department, patients are met by an experienced medical and paramedical staff who work to diagnose their emergency condition and direct them based on the level of severity, which is divided into red, orange, and yellow levels.
He explained that critical cases are directed directly to the resuscitation unit, which has 23 beds and has been equipped with the latest digital devices and equipment, which enable rapid and effective intervention in various emergency cases, noting that the unit enables the provision of dialysis services, as well as receiving treatment for those suffering from heart attacks or strokes.
He said that the department is also distinguished by having four operating theatres, three of which are dedicated to brain, trunk, or limb surgery, while the fourth theatre is dedicated to infection surgery, which allows for the possibility of taking care of the patient regardless of the surgical condition they need.
He pointed out that for organisational reasons, it was decided to allow only one companion for the patient in the emergency department to facilitate care and handling of the emergency case and avoid congestion in the corridors, noting that in this context, a special room has been allocated to receive companions.
In parallel with these health services, the department has a simulation centre dedicated to training medical and paramedical staff on various procedures and measures related to emergency interventions that can be carried out in case of emergency, as well as the Medical Assistance Coordination Unit "SAMU" available via the number 141, which enables communication with an emergency doctor to explain the patient's medical condition, with the possibility of sending an equipped ambulance for emergency intervention if needed.
For his part, Dr. Mohamed Mouhaoui, a specialist in resuscitation, anaesthesia, and emergency medicine at Ibn Rochd Hospital, pointed out that the new emergency department includes 5 units, namely the reception, orientation, and primary examination unit, the resuscitation unit, which is the largest of its kind in Africa, and the medical coordination unit, whose role is to ensure smooth communication and coordination between hospitals in the Casablanca-Settat region.
Dr. Mouhaoui continued that it also concerns the simulation department for training in emergency medicine, in addition to the surgical complex unit.
For his part, Dr. Omar Qasmi, in charge of the radiology unit at the emergency department, highlighted that one of the characteristics of this department is its availability of a special department for X-ray examination and diagnosis, which includes, in addition to X-ray imaging and ultrasound devices, (2) scanner devices, and a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device available around the clock.
He highlighted that, thanks to this precise equipment, especially the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) device, the number of cases diagnosed in radiology in general has increased, which currently exceeds 300 cases per day.
According to data from the Ibn Rochd University Hospital, the emergency department received, during the period from September 07 to December 16, 2024, a total of 28,768 cases, i.e., an average of 290 patients per day.
Thus, the new emergency department at the Ibn Rochd University Hospital comes to strengthen the health infrastructure in Casablanca, and consequently contributes to making up for the shortage recorded at the level of emergency departments in the city, and enhancing the quality of medical services for the economic capital.
