Health sector in Idlib, between hammer of the Russian bombing and anvil of the support and political considerations
The management of “Aqrabat” border hospital issued today a statement announcing the suspension of surgical operations and receiving patients until further notice, starting from the 1st of January 2020, because of the stoppage of support, and in if the support is permanently suspended; the work will be limited to the emergency services only.
On the 24th of December, the Syrian American Medical Association (SAMS) issued a statement announcing the suspension of work at al-Salam Maternity Hospital in Maarrat al-Nu’man, due to heavy raids on the city, adding that “SAMS staff were forced to suspend the work at Saraqib Health Center in the eastern countryside of Idlib.” And the association noted that Maarrat al-Nu’man hospital is the largest hospital in north and west of Syria, saying that it “began supporting it in February 2015, to provide its services for free to all people of the area providing most of the medical services.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored more than 11 hospitals and health facilities getting destroyed and out of service during the recent escalation campaign, such as Sham Hospital, Rahman Talmanas Hospital, al-Rawdah Hospital, Kiwan Hospital, Myassar al-Ghadfa Hospital, al-Salam Maternity Hospital, Saraqib Hospital, Maarrat al-Nu’man Hospital, Saraqib Health Center, Health Center of Marshourin, Jisr al-Shughur Clinic and other health facilities that were bombed after they stopped operating due to heavy shelling.
On the 5th of May, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored four hospitals getting out of service due to Russian strikes targeted “Nabd al-Hayat” hospital in Idlib countryside, “Kafr Nubl” Hospital south of Idlib, Kafr Zita hospital in the northern countryside of Hama, and “al-Amal” orthopedic hospital.
On the 10th of December, the Syrian Observatory monitored the Turkish government’s detaining medical aid trucks, which were heading to al-Qeniyyeh hospital in Jisr al-Shughur, and asked the administration not to promote this matter in the media, where the medical staff called on the Turkish government to abandon any political, regional, or international considerations that may stand in the way of medical work, which has long been under the siege, attack, and hostility of the criminal “Assad” regime, and the Syrian Observatory monitored more than 75 attacks targeted medical facilities in the “de-escalation” area since late April.