Patients in Syria’s Manbij say Damascus government closes al-Tayyah Crossing
MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – Patients in the city of Manbij, east of Syria’s Aleppo, who suffer from chronic diseases complain that al-Tayyah crossing, southwest of the city, was closed by the Syrian government which prevented them from reaching Aleppo and Damascus for treatment.
Since March 21, the Damascus government has continued to close three crossings connecting its areas with the Autonomous Administration areas of Raqqa, Manbij, and Tabqa.
There are four centers specialized in treating cancer patients in the regions of the Syrian government: al-Mouwasat Hospital in Damascus and the Radiation and Chemical Treatment Center in Tishreen Hospital in Latakia, and two oncology centers in the University Hospital and Ibn Rushd Hospital in Aleppo.
Patients’ complaints
Due to their urgent need to travel to government areas to receive treatment, patients spare no effort to try to cross, but it is wasted because government checkpoint personnel refuse to let them cross.
Muhammad Ahmed (a pseudonym), a cancer patient from the city of Manbij, expressed his dissatisfaction with his inability to cross and travel to Damascus for treatment.
The nature of Ahmed’s disease requires him to travel to Damascus once a month to receive treatment at al-Mouwasat Hospital.
“I went to the crossing four days ago, and when I reached the government checkpoints, they asked the driver to turn back,” Ahmad said.
“Although I explained to them my situation and my suffering, it was all in vain, and the officer kicked me out,” he added.
He pointed out that if there were treatment centers in other areas, “I would not have to go to the areas of the Syrian government that closes the crossing whenever it wants and opens it whenever it wants.”
Weak excuses
Hussein Muhammad (a pseudonym), a resident of Manbij, was unable to take his sick mother to the city of Aleppo for treatment.
Muhammad’s mother suffers from heart disease, so she needs a catheterization and a cardiac network installation.
“The checkpoint did not allow us to cross even though we were traveling in an ambulance, and my mother’s condition is very bad,” he said.
Muhammad tried to convince the checkpoint personnel in all ways to allow them to cross. “I even offered them an amount of money, but they refused under the pretext that the closure is an order from the top and must be adhered to and not violated.”
Yasser Amin, a doctor specializing in internal diseases from the city of Manbij, told North Press that treatment for heart and cancer patients is free in Damascus and Aleppo.
This includes giving cancer patients chemotherapy or surgery to remove cancerous tumors, as well as network transplants for patients with heart diseases.
“As for the tests prior performing surgery or giving doses to cancer patients, they are at the patient’s expense,” the doctor added.
The price of the swabs (biopsy) is about 300, 000 Syrian pounds(SYP), and the x-ray is also about 150,000 SYP, because it is available in private hospitals, not government hospitals, according to the doctor.