By Nalin Ali/Samer Yassin
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Turkish strike on the only dialysis center in Syria’s northeast city of Qamishli in December 2023 prevented Ahmad Abdurrahman al-Khedr from treatment as the center has become out of service. As a result, the health situation of al-Khedr along with other patients has deteriorated.
Al-Khedr, who is in his sixties and hails from the town of Amuda, some 20 km to the west of Qamishli, has to wait three days for the center to be repaired and operated again, a challenge that dozens of kidney patients have been facing since the Turkish strikes.
However, the significant damage inflicted on the center prevented it from resuming its services. As a result, one of the patients died.
“Two hours after the Turkish airstrike, we came to the center and saw that everything was destroyed,” said Rafe Abbas, center’s director. “The doors and windows were ripped off and kidney dialysis machines were broken down.”
Abbas told North Press that the distilled water station inside the center was greatly damaged. The station used to pump about 20,000 liters of distilled water, of which 500 liters were consumed per session for each patient. But now, the water supply has significantly decreased due to a malfunction at the station. This has led to a reduction in the duration of dialysis sessions from four to two hours after the center resumed service in Dec. 30, 2023 which will have a major impact on the patients’ suffering from severe kidney conditions, according to Abbas.
The kidney dialysis center in Qamishli that was established by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in 2021 provided free kidney dialysis services and was visited by dozens of kidney patients monthly.
The center’s director added that about 70 patients received treatment at this center on a weekly or semi-daily basis. They came from most areas of Northeast Syria. “More than 22 kidney patients were planned to come to the center for treatment the day following the strike,” Abbas noted. “Kidney patients, in particular, cannot postpone their turn, not even for a single day, especially those with severe cases.”
On Dec. 25, 2023, Turkey launched airstrikes on Northeast Syria region targeting healthcare and economic facilities of the civilians. The strikes led to the damage of several infrastructure facilities and left several casualties.
In late December 2023, The AANES’ Health Board said the dialysis center in Qamishli used to help 100 patients with almost 250 sessions weekly.
There is another kidney dialysis center in a neighborhood controlled by the Syrian government forces in Qamishli that provides free services, but it also witnesses significant overcrowding that prevents it from accommodating more patients, according to Abbas. There are also two other private centers in the city, but they are prohibitively expensive which for the patients to avoid going there.