As doctors flee, Syria's field hospitals suffer

Writing by Zaman Staff; Translation by Yusra Ahmed

(Zaman Al Wasl)-Syrian doctors leave the country to work abroad, in September only, around 150 doctors of Medicine left Syria to work in Gulf countries and Europe, local medical sources revealed.

“The real medical situation in liberated areas is extremely difficult and disastrous because of lack of support, shortage of medical equipments and medication, while most medication arrive expired, added to medical forces drain and migration” a surgeon talked to Zaman al-Wasl.

The surgeon revealed that he used expired surgical sutures in most surgical operations he performed.

He detailed “There is huge shortage in medical staff, either doctors or nurses, while specialists are rare in the liberated areas, which force us to train inexpert people for at least 3 months to help us”

He commented that only two orthopaedics available in hospitals in Northern Syria, while most doctors are junior and inexpert and not specialists.

The surgeon added that children and new born babies are at more risk, because of lack of medication and special equipments.

“Most field hospitals lack Intensive Care Units “ICU, that force us to refer patients to Turkey’s hospitals, but unfortunately most of them die before arriving”.

In the end, the surgeon appealed to give the medical sector in the liberated areas the interest and fund it deserves and need, to support medical institutions to be able to help people and save their lives.

From his side, Mohamed Nazir Hakim, the member of the National Coalition’s General and political committee, expressed his worries about the regime’s advances in Aleppo, warning from repeating Homs’s scenario.