Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Zaman Al Wasl)- The last ophthalmologist has left Northern countryside of Homs to Turkey last month, leaving patients of injuries with sharp materials and wounds in eyes because of foreign bodies at risk of losing the activity of their eyes leading to blindness or even losing the entire eye, as there is no other ophthalmologist in the villages and towns of Northern countryside, as a result of the heavy siege for years under difficult humanitarian and medical conditions.
Activists mentioned that doctors in the northern countryside have a real problem in treating eyes’ injuries admitted to hospitals, especially during the last regime’s attack on northern Homs.
Doctor Abo Mahmoud confirmed to Zaman Al Wasl that Homs northern countryside had been without an ophthalmologist for 4 years, even the last ophthalmologist before leaving was not able to do operations, all she did was consultations and conservative treatment.
The doctor explained that non-specialist doctors sometimes were forces to remove the entire eye by consulting ophthalmologist over the phone and doing available diagnostic procedures. While other milder injuries, like cuts, foreign bodies, cornea injuries, received conservative treatment outside Homs if available.
Dr. Abo Mahmoud pointed out that eye surgery are not performed in Homs’s Northern countryside because there is no eye specialist, except eye removal which can be performed by general surgeons, besides lack of special equipments and microscope.
Doctor Abo Mahmoud explained that general surgeons in Homs cannot start a new specialty like ophthalmology, as they have no time beside the work load in operating abdomen, chest and head injuries, besides wounds and fractures and gynaecology.
Our speaker explained that children and women can manage to reach to Hama or Turkey to receive treatment, as they can pass the regime’s barriers, however, wounded men cannot have access to hospitals in Hama or Idlib or Turkey because of risk of arrest.
In regard to eye drugs and whether they are available in field hospitals, Dr. Abo Mahmoud stressed that most of these drugs are available like antibiotics, anti-allergy drugs, high eye pressure drugs, because of lack of use as they are not prescribed by doctors because there is no ophthalmologist in the area.
(Zaman Al Wasl)- The last ophthalmologist has left Northern countryside of Homs to Turkey last month, leaving patients of injuries with sharp materials and wounds in eyes because of foreign bodies at risk of losing the activity of their eyes leading to blindness or even losing the entire eye, as there is no other ophthalmologist in the villages and towns of Northern countryside, as a result of the heavy siege for years under difficult humanitarian and medical conditions.
Activists mentioned that doctors in the northern countryside have a real problem in treating eyes’ injuries admitted to hospitals, especially during the last regime’s attack on northern Homs.
Doctor Abo Mahmoud confirmed to Zaman Al Wasl that Homs northern countryside had been without an ophthalmologist for 4 years, even the last ophthalmologist before leaving was not able to do operations, all she did was consultations and conservative treatment.
The doctor explained that non-specialist doctors sometimes were forces to remove the entire eye by consulting ophthalmologist over the phone and doing available diagnostic procedures. While other milder injuries, like cuts, foreign bodies, cornea injuries, received conservative treatment outside Homs if available.
Dr. Abo Mahmoud pointed out that eye surgery are not performed in Homs’s Northern countryside because there is no eye specialist, except eye removal which can be performed by general surgeons, besides lack of special equipments and microscope.
Doctor Abo Mahmoud explained that general surgeons in Homs cannot start a new specialty like ophthalmology, as they have no time beside the work load in operating abdomen, chest and head injuries, besides wounds and fractures and gynaecology.
Our speaker explained that children and women can manage to reach to Hama or Turkey to receive treatment, as they can pass the regime’s barriers, however, wounded men cannot have access to hospitals in Hama or Idlib or Turkey because of risk of arrest.
In regard to eye drugs and whether they are available in field hospitals, Dr. Abo Mahmoud stressed that most of these drugs are available like antibiotics, anti-allergy drugs, high eye pressure drugs, because of lack of use as they are not prescribed by doctors because there is no ophthalmologist in the area.
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