Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Deir Ezzor, SANA- Workers at the health sector in Deir Ezzor province seek to provide medical services to citizens according to the available capabilities, despite the lack of specialized medical supplies and cadres.
Director of Health Department, Dr. Bashar al-Shuaibi, told SANA reporter that the health sector facilities in the province were subjected to systematic destruction, looting and sabotage by terrorists as most hospitals and health centers went out of service.
He added that 106 health centers out of 110 and 7 government hospitals out of 8 were looted and vandalized, but despite that, the health sector has continued to provide medical services to citizens throughout the years of the unjust siege on Deir Ezzor through al-Assad Hospital and 4 health centers in the city.
Al-Shuaibi pointed out that the health sector in the province has witnessed a remarkable improvement in the three years that followed the lifting of the siege on the city of Deir Ezzor and the liberation of its countryside from terrorism, as the number of health centers increased from 4 centers at the end of 2017 to 42 centers.
He stressed the continuation of providing services within the hospital complex in al-Assad Hospital, which includes the General Authority of al-Assad Hospital and al-Furat Hospital, which provides internal, cardiology and neurological care services.
Al-Shuaibi noted that the number of patients at the Internal Diseases Department and Internal Diseases Emergency Department has reached more than 20 thousand since the beginning of the year, and the Children’s and Obstetrics Hospital, which provides Services of diseases, gynecology and pediatrics, and it contains an operating room, delivery room, and an Incubators Department, which includes 16 incubators with modern specifications.
He added that the health centers and hospital complex are currently working, according to the available capabilities, to provide health services and vaccinations to citizens in Deir Ezzor and the eastern countryside of Raqqa, indicating that the health sector has been supplied with medicines, vaccines, medical devices, surgical vehicles, mobile clinics and ambulances.
Al-Shuaibi said that the health sector in Deir Ezzor suffers from a shortage of medical staff in general, and of specialized doctors and residents, especially “cardiac surgery, treatment of tumors, glands, vessels, cardiac surgery and neurosurgery.” In addition to the lack of some equipment, indicating that the situation has improved After the approval of the Cabinet in mid-February to send 20 doctors in all specialties on a monthly basis to the hospitals of Deir Ezzor.
In turn, Director of the General Authority of al-Assad Hospital, Dr. Mamoun Hizah, pointed out that the hospital provides surgical services “general, orthopedic, vascular, neurological and thoracic,” and more than 3,500 surgical operations have been performed since the beginning of the year, in addition to the Nephrology Department, which contains 17 dialysis machines, and 3,800 dialysis sessions have been performed for 109 patients since the beginning of the year, the lithotripsy department and the outpatient clinics, which include clinics for “ear, nose and throat diseases – ophthalmology – neurological – urinary – orthopedic – oral and maxillofacial surgery and surgery” and a central laboratory for medical analysis, radiography and mammography.
Hizah added that the hospital suffers from a shortage of medical staff and some equipment, especially the CT system, which has been working for more than 6 months and has not been maintained due to the lack of spare parts as a result of the economic siege imposed on Syria.
A number of citizens referred to the health services provided at the complex of hospitals and health centers, hailing the efforts made by the staff working in them, and demanding to provide some types of medicines and the repair of some medical devices which are not working.
Rafah al-Allouni/ Ruaa al-Jazaeri
