ASINAT AL-MUHAMMED

Idlib- People living in IDPs camps in Idlib, northwestern Syria, have no access to essential health care services since many hospitals and health centers were closed down due to the lack of funding. In the city controlled by the Turkish state and jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) for years, women and children in IDPs camps have been negatively affected by the closure of hospitals and health centers.

Displaced people deprived of their right to health

Bab al-Hawa Hospital, one of the largest medical facilities in northwestern Syria, has ceased operations due to the lack of funding, causing the displaced people to be deprived of free and qualified health services.

Halud Al-Ragib, 28, is a displaced woman living in the Kafr Lusin camp, northern Idlib. Her son is fighting a serious health problem that requires immediate surgical intervention; however, he cannot undergo surgery since Bab al-Hawa Hospital ceased operations. Halud al-Ragib has to wait in despair because she has no means to afford private hospitals. “We have already suffered from difficult living conditions. We used to have access to health services but now we have no access to even essential health services,” she told us. “I cannot do anything for my son.”

Call on government to support hospitals

Fatma İzeddin, 48, lives at a makeshift camp in Sarmada, northern Idlib. She suffers from hypertension and diabetes and needs regular treatment at Bab al-Hawa Hospital; however, she has received no treatment since the hospital ceased operations. “The hospital provided free medications and treatment. Now, I cannot buy my medications. My health is deteriorating but I cannot go to private hospitals to receive treatment.”

Dr. Semaher Al-Adl: This situation is a disaster

Bab al-Hawa Hospital used to provide specialized medical services including microsurgical neurology, ophthalmology, cochlear implants, dialysis, cardiology, and oncology, said Semaher Al-Adl, a doctor at Bab al-Hawa Hospital. “The hospital used to be the largest medical facility serving thousands of patients in the region. The hospital has ceased operations and this affects women and children the most.”

Semaher Al-Adl called on Syria’s interim government to support hospitals and health centers. “Women and children are the most vulnerable groups and they need health care services. This situation is a disaster.”