By Nalin Ali
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Layth al-Abd faces challenges in covering the cost of his father’s treatment who has cancer, not to mention the expenses of traveling to Damascus to receive chemotherapy doses.
Al-Abd’s father, Ahmad, 65, a resident of Qamishli city in northeastern Syria, has been battling with a bone marrow and prostate cancer for two years.
Al-Abd cannot travel with his father to Damascus for security related reasons, so his mother is forced to accompany his father.
In late 2023, the Kurdish Red Crescent (KRC) opened a department in one of the newly established hospitals specifically for the treatment of malignant tumors and cancer patients in Qamishli.
The KRC, locally known as Heyva Sor A Kurd, is an independent non-governmental and non-profit organization operating in Northeast Syria. It was established in 2012 to provide medical services for the people affected by the conflict.
After the opening of the center, al-Abd is relieved of the need to go to Damascus hospitals to treat his father. Now he only has to purchase chemotherapy doses.
Due to his father’s bad health condition and the necessity of taking doses at a specific period of 15 to 21 days, al-Abd is forced to buy each prostate chemotherapy dose for $115, whereas he buys other doses for 350,000 Syrian pounds (SYP, which equals about $23).
He told North Press that the prices of the doses change from time to time, adding that they are available but in very limited quantities.
Al-Abd believes that the opening of the center in the city positively serves cancer patients in terms of saving expenses and sparing them troubles of traveling to Damascus.
He wishes, however, that the medication and treatment doses for cancer patients would be available, or that the center would cover some of the expenses of the doses. “We buy doses from outside the center. The center’s role is limited to giving the doses to patients under the supervision of specialized doctors free of charge,” al-Abd said.
Amjad Ali, a hematologist working in the center, said the KRC opened the hospital in late December 2023 and it includes three departments. The first floor is designated for blood disorders and cancer, the second is for burns, and the third is for thalassemia patients. Currently, only the cancer department provides treatment for patients, Ali added.
The hospital includes doctors specialized in oncology and hematology, as well as radiologic technologist, pharmacy departments, and experienced nurses in giving chemotherapy doses.
Previously, the area lacked a specialized hospital for the treatment of tumors, which made patients bear the costs and hardships of traveling for a long distance on time-consuming journeys to receive treatment outside Northeast Syria.
Ali told North Press the hospital still needs several things, nonetheless available supplies are considered good as it has a laboratory for medical tests, in addition to a radiology department, ultrasound and mammography devices.
“We have oral chemotherapy doses. We hope to secure all chemotherapy doses completely in the near future,” Ali added.
“All services provided by the hospital are free. As for equipment and treatment supplies, we hope to keep providing treatment as doses are too expensive for patients,” he said.
Ali expressed his hopes to have cooperation from all authorities, associations and NGOs in the area to “secure these treatments as soon as possible.”