Nearly 1200 new cases of child cancer are diagnosed in Morocco each year. Yet, there are only two centers of oncology operating in the kingdom. Said Benchekroun, the head of the oncology department in the 20 of August Hospital in Casablanca told Aujourd'hui that since the period of hospitalization in most cases is short, the main problem is actually not the lack of beds.
He explained that even though the center he heads needs to treat about 300 to 400 new cases every year he feels that he can cope with this task with the only 13 beds for children. The actual problems, he says, are mainly the lack of paramedics, a problem with which the center deals with the help of international NGOs.
