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Nabila Sellal1, Souha Sahraoui2, Mohamed El Hfid1
1Department of Radiotherapy, Mohamed VI University Hospital of Tangier, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tangier, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Morocco.
Insights
Pediatric radiotherapy in Morocco shows progress in infrastructure but faces challenges in staffing and anesthesia support. This study identifies key areas for improving pediatric radiation oncology services.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Radiation Oncology
- Pediatric Oncology
Context:
- Pediatric radiotherapy (PR) in middle- and low-income countries faces significant challenges.
- Morocco's healthcare system is working to address these issues in PR.
- A comprehensive understanding of the current state of PR in Morocco is needed.
Purpose:
- To describe the current situation of pediatric radiotherapy in Morocco.
- To identify specific needs and challenges within Moroccan pediatric radiotherapy services.
- To propose an improved organizational framework for pediatric radiotherapy in Morocco.
Summary:
- In 2021, 295 children received radiotherapy across seven Moroccan university hospitals.
- Multidisciplinary teams are present in most centers, but 21% of radiation oncologists report patient transfers due to anesthesia limitations.
- Advanced techniques like 3D and Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy are available, yet 60% of oncologists desire further post-residency training.
Impact:
- This study provides the first national overview of pediatric radiotherapy in Morocco.
- Identifies critical areas for improvement in infrastructure, human resources, and patient care pathways.
- Offers recommendations for optimizing the organization and delivery of pediatric radiotherapy services in Morocco.
Introduction:
Pediatric radiotherapy (PR) faces several issues in middle- and low-income countries.
Aim:
Our study is a cross-sectional observation which aimed to describe the current situation of PR in Morocco in order to identify the needs and to propose an organizational shema for this discipline.
Methods:
The collection of data used two surveys, one of which was intended to the heads of the radiotherapy department of all university hospital centers (UHC) in Morocco concerning the hospital's infrastructure, human resources, technical and the course of radiotherapy. A second survey was intended for all radiation oncologists trained and working in Morocco with data related to the practice of PR.
Results:
In 2021, 295 children were treated in the radiotherapy departments of the seven university hospitals in Morocco. One hundred and two radiation oncologists responded to our survey. The multidisciplinary consultation board is held in five university hospitals, four of which have a complete multidisciplinary team. The children are sent to another structure by default of anesthesia according to 21% of the radiotherapists questioned. The three-dimensional technique is available in all university hospitals. Intensity modulated radiotherapy is available in 5 UHC. Additional training in radiotherapy after residency was necessary according to 60% of the radiotherapists questioned.
Conclusion:
Despite the progress that Morocco has made in terms of infrastructure and radiotherapy equipment, this first national survey has identified some weaknesses and developed some recommendations for the organization of PR.