By Fattah Issa
KOBANI, Syria (North Press) – Jumaa Ramo has to wait hours in Meshtanour Health Center to get an examination and free medicine in light of deteriorating of his living situation. He is coerced to wait for long hours because it is the only medical center in the city of Kobani, northern Syria.
Ramo, 76, from Kobani, said that the situation of the health center was better in last year, as two centers used to provide free medical services, but the Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC) that is located in the city center was closed.
The residents of Kobani complain about overcrowding at the health center, which makes them wait for hours to get medical services.
The Medical center is affiliated with the Health Authority in the Euphrates region, affiliated with Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
At the beginning of January, the health department at the KRI center in Kobani was closed, based on a decision by the organization.
Deterioration of living conditions
Ramo adds that the deteriorating living conditions of the region’s residents, and their inability to afford the costs of medical examinations and medicines, force them to wait throughout the day at the free health center.
In turn, Perwin Sheikho, 25, a resident of Kobani, says that she waited for about three hours because of the congestion in order to examine her children at the center, pointing out that there are many patients with many diseases.
She adds that the examination fees at private clinics are high compared to their income, and that securing their living needs costs a lot. Thus, they have to come to the only free clinic at 8 AM in the morning and wait in line because of the congestion.
She believes that Kobani city needs at least three free health centers compared to its population in order to reduce congestion.
There are people who cannot afford medical examination fees in private clinics due to their difficult living conditions, according to Sheikho.
Demands for Health Centers
Sheikho further emphasizes that the decline in living conditions in Kobani necessitates the AANES’ to open multiple health centers. The current center fails to meet the residents’ medical service requirements.
Just like Shiekho, 60-year-old Muhammad Rasho, a resident of Kobani, said that Kobani city needs at least three health centers. According to him, one should be in the city center, the second should be located to the east and the third to the west.
He said that he waited his turn at the health center for three hours due to the large number of patients.
He added to North Press that the living conditions of the residents are deteriorating, and they are unable to afford medicines or cover the costs of medical examination fees.
A medicine pack that was priced at 5,000 Syrian pounds (SYP) last year has now increased to 30,000 SYP, and the doctor’s examination fee has risen to 25,000 SYP. This significant price hike has made it nearly impossible for Kobani residents to afford these expenses.
400 patients per day
Meanwhile, Muhammad Kurdi, an administrator at the Meshtanour Health Center, explains that the center caters to approximately 300 to 400 patients per day.
According to Kurdi, the day shift at the center starts at 8 AM and continues until 3 PM. However, due to the increased demand, the Health Authority had to open a night shift from 3 PM until 10 PM.
Kurdi adds that the Meshtanour Health Center consists of four main departments: internal medicine, pediatrics, gynecology, and diabetes, in addition to a department dedicated to providing psychological support. Moreover, following the closure of the Kurdish Red Crescent Center, the children’s vaccination department, as well as the leishmaniasis vaccination department, were relocated to this center. Recently, a new department has been established to address child malnutrition.
Kurdi emphasized that opening an additional center is necessary to enhance the healthcare services and alleviate overcrowding. He also notes that residents from the eastern neighborhoods of Kobani city receive free health services at Kobani Hospital, whereas residents from the central neighborhoods have been directed to Meshtanour Health Center since the closure of the Kurdish Red Crescent Center.
He demands opening another center in the central or southern part of the city to address the challenges faced by those who lack transportation. Many of them are have to endure walks of half an hour or more, particularly during the searing summer, in order to access the current center.
According to Kurdi, doctors and staff at the center also suffer from congestion. Each doctor examines 70 to 80 patients per day. The number of patients may reach one hundred people per day for each physician. He believes that reactivating the Kurdish Red Crescent Center would alleviate the burden on the Meshtanour Health Center. Additionally, he highlights the importance of opening a third center in the southern part of the city, as it would not only ease the strain on the residents but also on the existing center