A funding crisis threatens the Bab al-Hawa Hospital in Idlib, Syria, putting the healthcare of thousands of patients at risk. Ayman al-Khayal, a dialysis patient, fears the hospital’s closure will mean certain death for many in need of life-saving treatment. The hospital serves over 32,000 patients monthly, including those in need of cancer treatment, brain surgery, and dialysis. With funding set to expire at the end of September, efforts to find new donors have so far failed.
The Syrian American Medical Society, which runs the hospital, warns that the lack of funding is a widespread issue in opposition-controlled areas. Underfunded hospitals and health facilities are being forced to close, leaving patients with few options for medical care. Kidney failure patients like al-Khayal face the possibility of having no access to life-saving treatments if the hospital shuts down.
The health situation in northwest Syria is described as teetering on the edge of collapse by UN officials. A lack of funding, compounded by the effects of the Syrian conflict, is causing a high number of health facilities to close or suspend operations. Despite efforts to find solutions like volunteer work and new donors, the situation remains dire for patients in need of medical care.
As the September deadline looms, patients like al-Khayal are left anxious about their uncertain future. With his daughter Madiha aspiring to become a doctor, the family remains hopeful for a solution that will ensure continued access to essential healthcare services. Time is running out for Bab al-Hawa Hospital and the thousands of patients who rely on its life-saving treatments.
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