Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Warnings of Humanitarian Disaster as Most of Syria’s Idlib Hospitals Go out of Service | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Civil Defense members search for survivors amid rubble following air strikes on the city of Idlib. (AFP)


Beirut – Over eight medical centers, including Civil Defense positions, have been bombarded by Syrian regime and Russian fighter jets in Syria’s Idlib in April as they intensified their military campaign in the northern region.

Head of Civil Defense in Idlib Mustapha al-Hajj Youssef described the medical situation in the province as “very bad”, warning of a humanitarian crisis if the situation continued.

He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The hospitals that we had been primarily relying on have gone out of service.”

The most important of those facilities was the national hospital Muaarat al-Numan in Idlib’s southern countryside and al-Abdeen Hospital. The other facilities that went out of service are al-Rahma hospital in the city of Khan Sheikhoun, the Haysh dispensary and al-Ikhlas hospital in the village of Shinan and the martyr Wassim Husseino hospital in Kfar Rakharim.

“We are now depending on medical stations that perform first aid in the absence of necessary equipment needed for surgeries,” added al-Hajj Youssef.

“In several instances, we are forced to resort to amputations the patient cannot be transferred to Turkey where they can undergo surgery,” he explained.

Medical centers in Idlib were only able to treat medium cases, while the more difficult ones are taken to neighboring Turkey.

Al-Hajj Youssef also spoke of the shortage of medical staff.

Meanwhile, a Free Syrian Army source rejected to Asharq Al-Awsat excuses that medical facilities are being targeted in the airstrikes because they are allegedly harboring terrorists.

He said instead that anyone entering the facilities is searched and armed people are barred from entry.

“People started to seek pharmacies and doctors’ clinics when hospitals turned into targets for airstrikes,” he revealed.

On Tuesday, 14 people were killed and dozens wounded in Russian strikes in Idlib.