Patients with chronic autoimmune diseases in Syria, including Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and others, live in tragic health conditions that directly threaten their lives. While these diseases pose a challenge in themselves due to their chronic and life-threatening nature, patients face a double challenge: a severe shortage of essential medications and the high cost of treatment, which has become beyond their financial reach.
For years, these patients have suffered from the theft of their medications from government hospitals, their distribution on the black market, or the monopolization of certain doctors, with the situation not improving after the political situation changed. Indeed, the health crisis has worsened, and access to essential treatment has become nearly impossible for most of them.
Patients confirm that the interruption of medication leads to rapid health deterioration and painful illnesses, as is the case with Crohn's patients who suffer from chronic inflammation of the digestive system, or multiple sclerosis patients who face progressive damage to the central nervous system, and other patients with autoimmune diseases that attack their vital organs.
The cost of a single dose of some vital medications can reach hundreds of dollars, an amount beyond the means of the vast majority of patients, especially given the deteriorating economic and living conditions. The lack of regular treatment not only threatens the stability of their health, but also makes daily life or maintaining a minimum level of dignity and physical function impossible.
Therefore, patients are calling on the Syrian Ministry of Health to take urgent action to secure free and sustainable access to essential medications through government hospitals. They emphasize that treatment is not a luxury or assistance, but rather a legal and human right that cannot be waived. The lives of thousands of patients are at stake, and their voices are rising today, demanding rescue before it's too late.
Zaman Al-Wasl
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