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العربية
There are two major cities in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside: Al-Mayadin and Al-Bukamal. Each of them houses numerous health centers that provide services to hundreds of families in the two cities and neighboring villages and towns. This is amid growing demands to develop this vital sector and improve its deteriorating situation in the region.
A DeirEzzor24 Network reporter stated that some specialties and departments have been out of service in recent years in both cities, exacerbating the suffering of residents who need to travel to the city center of Deir Ezzor or the capital, Damascus, for medical care due to the unavailability of these services in eastern Deir Ezzor.
He added that the most prominent departments that ceased operating during the period of the former regime’s control, and which have not been restored despite the passage of years, are the kidney dialysis department in Al-Bukamal, the surgery and nephrectomy department, and the obstetrics and gynecology department in Al-Mayadin.
He pointed out that despite the former Assad regime’s control over the region over the past years, it marginalized the health sector in the eastern Deir Ezzor countryside in particular, and across the province in general, without taking any serious steps to restore, maintain, or reactivate defunct health facilities.
Ms. Huda al-Hussein from the city of Al-Bukamal said that their suffering continues due to her father’s need for periodic dialysis sessions. They are often forced to transfer him to the Deir Ezzor National Hospital, which places an additional burden on the family, especially during the long wait for a dialysis appointment.
The residents appealed to the relevant authorities to rebuild the National Hospital in Al-Bukamal, which requires rebuilding from scratch, in addition to expediting the rehabilitation and operation of comprehensive clinics in the city, given their essential role in serving the majority of the population.
The health sector has recently witnessed significant activity in the field of maintenance and restoration, implemented by the Health Directorate and supported by local and international organizations in the cities of Albukamal and Al-Mayadeen.
In the city of Al-Bukamal, the dialysis department is scheduled to be renovated with support from the Islamic Relief Association in the coming days. Comprehensive clinics will also be reopened with joint support from the Health Directorate and Médecins Sans Frontières.
In the city of Al-Mayadeen, the Deir Ezzor Health Directorate, in cooperation with civil society organizations, has started to restore the maternity ward. It is expected to return to service in the coming days to meet the needs of the city and nearby villages.
