“Interim Government” affiliated hospitals | Inequality and noticeable discrimination between Syrian and Turkish doctors
Since the Turkish-backed factions captured parts of Aleppo countryside in northern Syria following the so-called “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” operations, Turkish government have established hospitals in several cities and towns, such as Azaz, Mare’, Al-Bab and Afrin. These hospitals are directly administrated by Turkish government, where Turkish and Syrian doctors and nurses work in them. However, Syrian doctors and nurses have expressed their resentment against the discriminating treatment and large disparity in salaries given to Turkish doctors.
The monthly salary of a Turkish doctor working in Turkish hospitals in north Syria approximates 19,000 TL, equivalent to 1,050 USD, while a Syrian doctor working in the same hospitals gets only 3,600 TL, equivalent to 200 USD.
Syrian doctors, employees and workers working in the medical sector, in general, see this treatment as “unjust” and “a racist practice by the Turkish government,” noting that Syrian doctors are as highly qualified as the Turkish.
Speaking to SOHR, an anaesthetic technician known by his initials as A. A. working in a hospital in Idlib says, “there is a large disparity between the salaries given to Turkish doctors and those given to Syrians because these hospitals are considered as governmental and administrated by the Turkish Ministry of Health, and no humanitarian organisations provide funds or support, unlike the situation in Idlib’s hospitals. Accordingly, Turkish government is the only body authorised to set the salaries. Salaries of doctors in hospitals which are supported by organisations in Idlib city and countryside are relatively better. Every doctor is given 600 to 1,300 USD a month according to the amount of support provided to each hospital. In the other hand, hospitals which do not receive any support by humanitarian organisations, such as the ‘University Hospital’ in Idlib city, which is affiliated to the ‘Ministry of Health’ of the ‘Salvation Government,’ provide low salaries to doctors. However, these low salaries remain better than salaries given to doctors working in Turkish hospitals in north Aleppo countryside.”
Commenting on the reasons which make the Turkish government to offer such low salaries in Aleppo’s hospitals, the man says, “there are no real reasons justifying this act. The Turkish government cites the Turkish doctors’ travelling for long distances to reach hospitals in Syria as an excuse. It is worth noting that Turkish doctors do not have daily shifts, especially since most of the Turks in these hospitals are administrators. Moreover, the disparity in salaries is not related to qualifications, as many Syrian doctors are better than the Turkish with respect to experience and academic degrees. Unfortunately, Turkey controls everything and all services and facilities in ‘Euphrates Shield’ and ‘Olive Branch’ areas. Employment of Turkish doctors in the hospitals of north Aleppo countryside cannot be justified. The medical staffs in these hospitals must be Syrians, as most of the Syrian doctors are not able to leave Syrian and work in other countries.”
The anaesthetic technician has also offered some solutions for this problem, saying “new hospitals administrated and funded by humanitarian organisations should be established in Aleppo, like those hospitals in Idlib city and countryside. More job opportunities in these hospitals must be available to Syrian doctors and high salaries must not be confined to the Turks. Even Turkish hospitals receive support from the Qatari ‘Red Crescent’ and other bodies; this means that the Turkish Ministry of Health dose not shoulder the entire responsibility for supporting these hospitals. The medical sector in Idlib city and countryside enjoys more independency. Moreover, there is a high level of supervision and preservation of the rights of those who work in Idlib’s hospitals, although the ‘Salvation Government’ does not provide large support, and humanitarian organisations shoulder the largest share of financial support provided to the hospitals. On the contrary, the medical sector in north Aleppo is under predominance of Turkish government and the ‘Interim Government’ -which nominally controls this region- has no a real power. This situation is very negative and will lead to enabling Turkey to practice authoritarianism and imposing its predominance over all sectors in the future.”
On August 1, tens of Syrian doctors and nurses in hospitals in the cities and towns of Afrin, Al-Bab, Azaz, Al-Ra’i and Mare’ in the northern countryside of Aleppo staged sit-in protests against the policy of “discrimination” followed in hospitals affiliated to the Turkish Ministry of health in northern Syria region. The protestors expressed their discontent over the large disparity between the salaries given to Turkish and Syrian doctors. The protestors also called upon the Turkish government for equality between Syrian and Turkish medics and employees working in these hospitals in terms of monthly salaries.
During a sit-in protest in front of the surgical hospital in Al-Bab city, members of the civil police beat several media activists who were covering these protests, amid attempts to arrest some of them, keep them away from the protestors and prevent them from filming the protests. Tens of media activists later published posts condemning these practices which are more akin to those oppressing practices adopted by the Syrian regime’s intelligence services, as they described, with the aim of stifling voices.
The low salaries of Syrian doctors and lack of equal treatment between them and their Turkish counterparts are not the only problems which Syrian doctors complained about and hindering them from resuming their work in these hospitals. According to sources, the Turkish government monopolises the administration of all affiliated hospitals in north Syria, as it is the only body having the right to appoint and discharge doctors and employees in these hospitals and to ratify and implement administrative laws without the “Syrian Interim Government” being able to interfere.
Furthermore, Syrian doctors, nurses and workers in these hospitals have complained of receiving discriminating treatment in terms of the number of working hours, vacations, breaks, promotions and dictatorial administration by the Turkish government which gives preference to Turkish doctors and nurses. Accordingly, Turkish workers can give instructions to Syrian doctors and impose their influence, as they enjoy impunity, unlike the Syrian.
Since Turkey captures areas in north Syria region, many incidents showing the “racial discrimination” and Turkish predominance over the medical sector have been documented in these areas. One example, among many, was decision issued by the administration of Mare’ hospital in the northern countryside of Aleppo in early August 2021, terminating a Syrian cardiologist called “Othman Hejawi” for “expressing solidarity with a doctor who was assaulted by a male Turkish nurse working in the same hospital.
Turkish government and private companies impose predominance on all sectors in “Euphrates Shield” and “Olive Branch” areas in north Syria region, including the sectors of education, health, commerce, agriculture and service, as well as dominating all factions operating under the banner of the “Syrian National Army,” security services and the police.