There is no doubt that the state of health of King Mohammed VI arouses great interest among Moroccans. No offense to some, the transparency of the Royal Palace as to the health of the King does not date from today. Since his accession to the Throne, King Mohammed VI has always chosen to keep his people, to whom he is bound by a contract of trust, informed about the state of their health by communicating about their illnesses.
Thus, on August 26, 2009, the Royal Palace announced, through the King’s personal doctor, that the Sovereign had been placed in convalescence for five days due to an infection presenting no concern for his health. In 2014, the Royal Palace had also informed on the state of health of the King by indicating that Mohammed VI presented symptoms of a severe cold accompanied by fever, in addition to bronchitis. In 2017, the spokesperson for the Royal Palace revealed that he had undergone surgery on his left eye. In 2018, it was still said in the same way that the Sovereign had undergone a heart operation in Paris at the Ambroise Paré clinic.
On Sunday, September 29, 2019, in the early afternoon, a press release from the Royal Cabinet informed public opinion that King Mohammed VI will not attend the funeral of former French President Jacques Chirac. The Royal Cabinet further specified that the Sovereign ” had recently contracted acute bilateral pneumonitis of viral origin“, that requires ” medical rest for a few days», prescribed by his personal doctor. In 2020, the Moroccan sovereign underwent a heart operation at the Royal Palace clinic in Rabat. Yesterday, Professor Lahcen Belyamani, the king’s personal physician, said in a statement that ” the Sovereign had contracted the Covid 19 virus in an asymptomatic form and that consequently, a period of rest from His Majesty the King was prescribed for a few days “.
This press release was in addition to others, issued officially in recent years to inform public opinion on the health of the Sovereign and which had put an end to an era when Moroccans knew nothing about the health of their monarch. Mohamed Choucair, a specialist in history and anthropology and a researcher and military expert, told MoroccoLatestNews that ” the announcement of the king’s state of health is not a novelty in itself in Morocco. Already, the late King Hassan II had previously informed public opinion about his state of health. even if he preferred to keep his cancer quiet, after the tests he had carried out in New York . The Moroccan expert went on to explain that ” it was the only information related to the health of the late King, not published” .
Choucair pointed out that ” communication on the King’s state of health puts an end to rumors and interpretations that can feed on silence communicative“, noting that” King Mohammed VI is pursuing the same approach more strongly and at a steady pace “. The specialist in history and anthropology said: ” The King, since his accession to the throne, has pursued a policy of proximity and has always been close to the citizens, both during his visits and during official meetings. “. The Sovereign has always been close to certain fragile groups, Choucair also indicated and “this is reflected in its communication policy based on clarity and proximity”. Our interlocutor concluded that “King Mohammed VI preferred a policy of clarity, unlike some leaders of countries whose people know nothing about the health of their leaders“. He further added that “the Royal Cabinet tries to anticipate rumors and fake news by issuing official communications“. In the same statement, Mohamed Choucair acknowledged that “the political system which is based on the centrality and role of the King must have his movements, including his health, at the forefront because the absence of the King affects the functioning of the system.
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