Dispensary in Syria’s Raqqa lacks medicine, medical staff
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – An administrator at al-Akirshi Dispensary in the eastern countryside of Raqqa, north Syria, said on Wednesday that the number of patients coming to the dispensary has significantly declined due to the lack of medications and medical staff.
That dispensary was opened by the Raqqa Health Committee affiliated with the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) in 2018. The dispensary suffers from lack of medicines and medical specialties, amid the spread of chronic diseases among elderly and respiratory illnesses among children.
Khalaf al-Khalaf, an administrator at the dispensary, mentioned that it no longer provides services to all patients due to the unavailability of medications and a shortage of medical staff.
He added that the number of patients coming to the dispensary has recently declined, especially after the discontinuation of support by one of the NGOs, as the dispensary used to receive around 5,000 patients monthly, averaging more than 150 patients daily.
It provides medical services for more than 40,000 people in eight villages and four makeshift camps, providing regular vaccinations for children, leishmaniasis vaccines and physical therapy. Also, there are pediatric and dental clinics.
Recently, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, asthma, and respiratory conditions among children have become more prevalent, according to al-Khalaf.
The administrator pointed out that the dispensary faces a shortage of medical specialties, calling for an increase in the number of medical staff, including doctors and nurses. Additionally, there is a need for a gynecologist and a midwife.
He also emphasized the necessity of supplying medications, especially for children, emergency cases, and those for chronic diseases. The Dispensary requires dental treatment materials and an ambulance, considering the far distance between the Dispensary and the Raqqa National Hospital.
The administrator urged medical NGOs in the region to support the dispensary, alleviating the burden on the population amid rising healthcare and medication costs, particularly after a more than 70 percent increase in medicine prices.