Syrian Health Minister: Improving Standards of Doctors and Nurses

Minister of Health Dr. Wael al-Halqi said on Saturday that the ministry is currently focusing on improving the medical and professional standards of doctors and assisting staff through developing continuous medical education programs and training courses for nurses.

In a press conference, al-Halqi said that the ministry is also considering bills for developing the health sector such as a bill on doctors’ occupancy and raising retirement age, in addition to bills on regulating medical labs, reorganizing the nursing profession, and turning some general hospital into entities with financial and administrative independence to improve work and reduce red tape.

The Minister stressed that the health sector in Syria faces many challenges, mainly the population increase, rise of medical costs and the increase of terminal diseases, noting that the ministry spent SYP 3.1 billion on terminal diseases in 2010, particularly on hepatitis, hemophilia diabetes, high blood pressure and thalassemia, with thalassemia alone costing around SYP 407 million each year to treat it.

He pointed out that the improvement of medical services increased the longevity average of Syrians to 73 years, adding that there are currently 88 free hospitals and 1,888 medical centers.

Al-Halqi said that health insurance is being restructured to become more developed and more fair to both workers and the ensuring party, and that plans are underway to establish new hospitals across Syria and providing more medical staff to the eastern region.

He pointed out that despite there being 94,000 employees in the Ministry of Health, they aren’t evenly distributed among governorates, and that the most pressing issue for hospitals is finding funding sources.

The Minister pointed out to the role played by 41 civil society organizations to increase social awareness about population growth and reproductive health, stressing the importance of mass media in raising awareness and relaying citizens’ health-related concerns and complaints regarding medical establishments.

He also said that the ministry suffered casualties and financial losses due to the attacks of terrorist groups and vandals, with two of its staff martyred, 12 injured, countless establishments damaged, and more than 30 ambulances out of commission, in addition to the massive damage to Jisr al-Shughour National Hospitals that will cost over SYP 3 million to repair.