First free hospital in Tal Tamir.. patients’ dissatisfaction, lack of equipment and staff
“Martyr Legarin” hospital in Tal Tamir town east of Al-Hasaka, is the first public hospital that provides services to patients of town and neighboring villages for free. It aims to provide 3000 patients with medical services in town and neighboring areas every month.
The hospital contains many departments as well as its securing system where comers and goers are subject to inspection in addition to registering their names before accessing to the hospital.
Departments
The number of patients, visitors and resident at “Martyr Legarin” hospital ranges between 100 – 200 patients per day, providing all its medical services for free such as diagnosis, medicines, the X-ray filming and laboratory examinations.
In addition to Caesarean and operations rooms, the hospital also includes an equipped laboratory and radiography room that has been equipped and opened lately, there are also other departments such as emergency, gynecic, pediatrics, incubators and an ambulance. The hospital is attended by doctors of several specialists such as gynecologists, pediatricians, cardiologists, internal and general medicine.
A number of health workers with assistance of Kurdish Red Crescent established a small public hospital in 2014 in the town that provided some of population needs of medicines and simple medical services after its loss due to siege and blocking roads linking the town with neighboring cities, where IS militants bombed the hospital during their attack against Tal Tamir in 2015.
Hassan Amin, hospital administrator, told North Press that due to growing need for a public hospital, they began with the assistance of Kurdish Red Crescent and Kurdistan Red Crescent establishing the hospital that was inaugurated a year ago.
Support and finance
Amin confirms that the hospital, Despite “small” shortcomings, is a major medical achievement serving people of the town and neighboring villages for free for 24 hours.
Amin added that they are constantly developing and improving equipment and medical staff according to support provided. Supporting bodies are limited to both Kurdish and Kurdistan Red Crescent only as well as some parties or other organizations that provide some support rarely.
Two months ago, radiology department was opened and provided with equipment. The crew works 24\7 shift system and they serve ten patients per day as average.
Walid Shaker, a radiographer, confirms that there are difficulties facing them in their work such as lack and delay in providing materials needed as acidification, cassettes and films used in radiography.
The hospital is more concerned with gynecic because the only support by UBP, supports gynecic.
Lack in medical staff and equipment
According to some patients, the hospital is an “empty building” without any content, it is just a center for emergency services and doesn’t provide any real medical service that usually provided by hospitals. The hospital is unable to do serious surgeries due to equipment and staff lack.
Others complain of the lack of specialists in several fields such as ophthalmologists, orthodontists, neurologists and orthopedists, which obliged the patients to find another hospital.
Kamiran Sheikho, a citizen of Tal Tamir, said to North Press that the hospital lacks staff and medicine. Although the building is good and the equipment is well-developed, yet, the hospital is just a first-aid hospital, and patients should be moved to another hospital.
Sherin Ismail Muhammad, an administrative in the hospital, claims that they haven’t been able to provide specialists such as neurologist, orthodontist and orthopedist, so they are obliged to send serious injuries to other hospitals, causing patients dissatisfaction and disappointment, but they are trying to avoid shortages in the future.
Other criticizers avoided showing their faces or mentioning their names in the report.
(A.S) a Tal Tamir citizen who was afraid of mentioning his name, described hospital’s services as “very bad” saying: “I have taken my aunt, who was suffering from a chronic disease, to the hospital several times, but the staff performance was very poor, so we were obliged to take her to other hospitals.”
A man in his fourth decade from Tal Tamir who also refused to mention his name, told North Press that he took his brother to the hospital after he had broken one of his vertebras due to a traffic accident saying “After we found out that the staff were unable to handle the case, we were asked to take him to Al-Hasaka hospital urgently. My brother was unable to move and needed special care during moving, but we didn’t find an ambulance to take him.”
“They told us that the hospital’s ambulance wasn’t there, despite the dangerous case of the patient, we had to take him with a private car and one of my brothers criticized the hospital’s administration. Then we were surprised to see a military vehicle raided our house and arrested my brother saying that he libeled a hospital (built upon sacrifices). We were threatened by them not to criticize again”. pointing out that after this incident, they did not dare to mention or criticize the hospital.
Some routine procedures such as (inspection, name controlling and investigations by security sevices) upset some visitors who see that there is no need for them. Also, patient’s companion have to fill a form before getting medical services needed for the patient.
Kheder Issa (60 years old), a patient’s companion, said: “There is no need for so much tightening. The hospital isn’t a military or intelligence center.”
Others see that the hospital is good and the staff take care of visitors, they also take care of cleaning and providing good health conditions.
Maha Al-Ahmad, who came with her sick daughter said that the hospital’s work is well-organized and “I was encouraged to stay with my daughter here for two days to recover.”
Neiroz Seikhmous (35 years old) from Tal Tamir, who came with her son, expressed her comfort for hospital’s work and staff treatment pointing out that they used to take their patients to Al-Hasaka and Qamishli hospitals, even if they weren’t suffering from serious conditions, having a nearby hospital, makes them feel comfort and save their efforts and money.
But Neiroz confirms that they are still going to Al-Hasaka for some laboratory examinations, of which are supposed to be available in the hospital. She hoped that such shortages be provided as soon as possible.
Although some are satisfied with hospital’s work, specialists describe hospital’s opening and work as great.
Dr. Abdul-Aziz, a non-contracted pediatrician, stated that the hospital’s opening was a great step in a place of no health services and that it was the right step in the right place and time, pointing out that there are obstacles concerning lack of specializations and medical staff, but it remains an important achievement serving people.
Hospital management confirms that the hospital is new and cannot claim to be able to provide all kinds of medical services, but they seek for improving and developing its services constantly.
Al-Hasaka – Hassan Abdullah – NPA