Morocco performs first-ever national telesurgery

It started as a bold idea. One doctor in Casablanca. One patient over 1,100 kilometers away in Laâyoune. And one unshakable belief: that cutting-edge tech could dissolve the limits of geography. In a first for Morocco — and a rare feat worldwide — Dr. Adil Ouzzane remotely performed a full robotic surgery, linking two cities by fiber, microwave, and sheer willpower. "Just a few years ago," he said, "it was unimaginable." Now? It's history.

How did it work?

Here's the magic behind the moment:

• A high-precision surgical robot stood ready at the International Polyclinic in Laâyoune.
• Dr. Ouzzane, a urologist and leader in robotic surgery, controlled it in real-time from Casablanca.
• Dual network connections — fiber optic and microwave — gave him an ultra-fast 20-millisecond response time, ensuring smooth, safe maneuvering of the robot's instruments.
• A full on-site team in Laâyoune, including urologists Dr. Younes Tibari and Prof. Adil Mellouki, anesthesiologist Dr. Khalid Azizi, and paramedical lead Siham Bouhtouri, stood by to monitor, assist, and safeguard the procedure.

This wasn't just Wi-Fi and wishful thinking. It was high-stakes precision, choreographed across the country.

Why does it matter?

Because this changes everything. For patients in hard-to-reach areas, for overburdened specialists in urban hubs, for national healthcare planning — it's a seismic shift. The days when advanced procedures were confined to big-city hospitals? They're numbered.

The operation — a radical prostatectomy — wasn't just successful, it was smooth, safe, and textbook. The patient, a 52-year-old man, is already stable and prepping for discharge. That's not just a win for one patient. It's a giant leap for everyone who's ever waited months or traveled miles for care.

The context

This landmark surgery took place within the Akdital Group's network, which footed the bill for the gear and tech to make it happen. It's a private healthcare group, yes — but one setting the pace for national transformation.

Dr. Ouzzane, who also heads the Moroccan Society of Robotic Surgery (MSRS), summed up the spirit of the moment best: "I feel incredibly proud to have achieved this pioneering milestone in Morocco." And with that, the future of Moroccan healthcare arrived — hands-off, but not out of reach.