Syrian Healthcare Sector .. How to deliver the change?
Syrians suffer various troubles, major is to receive suitable healthcare, whether in regions ruled by the Syrian regime or those under opposition control.
Even healthcare facilities and staff were targets for shelling and closure like other governmental bodies since armed conflict broke out in Syria, which resulted in health disasters that are escalating in urgent circumstances such as the pandemic of Covid-19 and the epidemic of Cholera which spread again in September 2022.
The “International Rescue Committee” (IRS) in cooperation with healthcare local Syrian organizations, implemented an evaluation at the end of December 2020, within the regions in northwest Syria, which revealed the extent of damage that occurred to the healthcare sector over 10 years from armed conflict. According to the related report: about 70% of healthcare staff had left the country, resulting in a rate of one doctor for every 10 thousand Syrian. So, the remaining staff works for more than 80 hours weekly in an attempt to cover the shortage.
In another report published early in 2021, the “Syrian Network for Human Rights” said that there at least 3364 healthcare staff is still in custody or under enforced disappearance.
Not to mention, the direct damage which happened to healthcare facilities because of shelling, the fear of civilians reaching healthcare facilities, and the shortage of many essential medical materials.
Many footages broadcasted on media every day reveal the extent of duplicated pain and suffering of Syrians on ill-equipped hospital beds, and the duplicated fatigue experienced by workers in the healthcare sector.
Moreover, the extent of pollution spread in the air, on the ground, and in the water supply made circumstances worse. In addition to poverty consequences, and poisoning crops because of the war.
Voluntary attempts to rescue healthcare facilities.
Under the conditions of these complex crises in the Syrian healthcare sector, several voluntary initiates and attempts took place from the concerned parties within the healthcare sector whether local or international.
Some people tried to provide healthcare facilities with medical supplies, others raised their voices in an attempt to protect healthcare staff and call to prevent the killing or arrest of them, and others tried to prepare safe humanitarian corridors to ensure medical aid delivery.
However, these important attempts focused on urgent relief for the Syrian healthcare sector. Relief efforts are vital but cannot work alone in developing such a sector that already reached scratch.
MIDMAR vision in empowering the Syrian healthcare sector.
We believe in “Midmar” that enormous efforts must be made on the highest levels to ensure the revival and constant development of the healthcare sector.
Since this vital sector is suffering from the conflict’s effect on the abilities and expertise of Syrian healthcare staff, on communication and exchange between healthcare staff at different levels and locations. Also, balance absence that related to attention for parties that provide healthcare support for the private sector and non-government bodies.
In response, we launched a project to enhance exchange networks among Syrian healthcare staff in 2021 and also aimed to search for possible partnership opportunities between the public and private sectors in the field of healthcare services.
In “Midmar” we’ve noticed the importance of establishing thoughts and practical solutions through learning and dialogue on the basis of current situation and future, studying needs and risks, and opportunities. Furthermore, we’ve discussed creating a certain space for learning and improvement, and exchange between Syrian healthcare staff. Also, we’ve suggested building partnerships with academics and scientific institutions to provide high-quality related content.
For that purpose, we’ve planned 13 educational paths within our project, in cooperation with 3 universities, more than 460 healthcare facilities, and more than a thousand participants.
Another significant example of Midmar’s projects serving the healthcare sector was the “Professional Nursing Diploma”, which aims to improve related human resources in northwest Syria, by building professional nurses’ capacities toward enhancing specialized nursing services provided.
As healthcare sector urgently needed this type of diploma to upgrade specialized nursing services, and to ensure nursing specialists will obtain the best tools and methodologies that contribute to supporting the healthcare system in northwest Syria.
In fact, this project included four given specialized certificates covering theoretical and practical courses, they involve a surgical assistant diploma, a newborn incubator diploma, an intensive care for adults diploma, and a dialysis diploma.
Therefore, previously mentioned projects and many more are real proof of our own philosophy. As we focus on human beings whether individuals or groups, we consider them as the main factor and direction to build different institutions of the society while maintaining to develop them constantly.
We do believe that societies have enormous capabilities that need our assistance to invest in them, even in times of crisis.