DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Al-Khalaf, who suffers from kidney failure, needs to travel to another city for periodic treatment, adding more burden to his already painful disease.
The 48-year-old dialysis patient, Ali al-Khalaf, from the village of Hammar al-Ali west of Deir ez-Zor Governorate, eastern Syria, complains about not being able to treat his condition in his own region.
The health sector in Deir ez-Zor is neglected and lacks services, especially in relation to kidney diseases. According to some patients, there is a kidney section only in al-Kisra Hospital, which does not cover all patients.
Al-Khalaf needs three to five weekly dialysis sessions. Sometimes he is forced to go to hospitals in Raqqa or Hasakah due to the lack of places in the al-Kisra Hospital.
Constant traveling puts more financial burdens on the man due to the high costs of transportation from his region to other cities amid difficult economic and living conditions experienced by most people in Deir ez-Zor.
A single dialysis session costs over 200,000 Syrian Pounds (SYP, which equals about $22) apart from transportation costs that could reach around 100,000 SYP (equals about $11), added to them costs of medication.
Saleh al-Ahmad, 40, from the village of al-Tar west of Deir ez-Zor, complains about the poor services provided in the kidney section at al-Kisra Hospital.
He told North Press that the section does not have the capacity to cover all patients, and he believes it needs more support, particularly in terms of medications, especially amid increasing prices and the patients’ inability to purchase them.
On the other hand, Maryam al-Abdullah, 55, from the village of Meheimideh west of Deir ez-Zor, demands the kidney section at al-Kisra Hospital is provided with medical equipment, and that another section is established to help patients and reduce travel expenses to other cities.
Al-Abdullah has been undergoing dialysis for over a year. She has difficulty having an appointment at the hospital due to its inability to cover all patients. At the same time, she cannot afford treatment in private hospitals.
Abdulsatar al-Shilash, head of the dialysis section at al-Kisra Public Hospital, said the section serves about 45 patients from across Deir ez-Zor and is supported only by the Sawsan Association for Development and Health Care, in addition the support from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
“The section provides services for 24 hours, including medications and consultations. There is a specialized doctor at the section and only six dialysis machines, which do not cover all patients in Deir ez-Zor,” he told North Press.
Al-Shilash noted that they demanded a larger place is established and more support, especially from the Health Committee in Deir ez-Zor affiliated with the AANES, is provided for the section to be able to cover the growing needs.