​​​​​​​Health sector is about to be on the edge of collapse in Shahba

The siege imposed on the displaced people of Afrin, who live in al-Shahba canton, led to a severe shortage of many materials, and created many living problems for the people, which threatens a humanitarian catastrophe.

Perhaps one of the most affected sectors in the province is the health sector, which is considered one of the most sensitive sectors due to its direct relationship to the lives of citizens.

Load- shedding in Avrin hospital

The administration of Avrin Hospital in al-Shahba canton warned that the hospital would be out of service in the near future, unless fuel and medicines are secured, which the Damascus government prevents from entering the canton.

The administrator of Avrin Hospital, Arin Ali, denounced the siege imposed on Al-Shahba district by the Damascus government.

Arin Ali confirmed that they forced to reduce load shedding due to lack of fuel, and generate the electricity intermittently according to the necessity.

Arin Ali noted that they are working to postpone the sick cases that can bear the postponement until they work to secure alternatives regarding the lost materials.

It called on the international and regional bodies to work to end this tragic situation, which tens of thousands of displaced people from the occupied city of Afrin and the indigenous people of al-Shahba district suffer from.

Medicines cannot be kept without electricity

The deputy of the Health Authority in al-Shahba and Afrin cantons, Berivan Hussein, indicated during an interview with ANHA’s agency that the difficulties posed by the blockade are not limited to the issue of securing medicines only, but also to methods of preserving them, due to fears of cutting off electricity to the medical points that contain medicine containers.

Many medicines, such as insulin required for diabetic patients and anesthetics, need medical refrigerators to protect them from damage, and the dangers of power outages as a result of the lack of fuel due to the blockade will lead to damage to what is left of them, which puts the lives of many patients on the brink of danger.

Berivan Hussein indicated that dozens of cases are reported to the medical points spread in al-Shahba canton, which need intervention for medical devices that operate on electricity, and the power outage means that it stops completely and poses health risks that lead to death, such as the intensive care ward and the incubator ward, as well as the only blood purification center in the canton.

Pharmacists pay about 12% as bribery for passing medicines

One of the pharmacists in al-Shahba canton, who preferred to remain anonymous for security reasons, said that they smuggle some medicines from the Damascus government checkpoints, to secure them in the 32 pharmacies in the canton.

The pharmacist indicated that they are forced to pay 12% of the total cost of medicines to the Damascus government to allow them to pass through.

As for the answer to a question about how to preserve medicines from damage, the pharmacist said that all pharmacies in al-Shahba canton do not have the possibility of providing medicines that need refrigerators for fear of damage. As a result, they do not have medical refrigerators, and if they have, it will be in vain due to load- shedding.

T/ Satt.

ANHA