Our work in Syrian Al-Raqqa
5.06.2022
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3 minutes
The war in Syria has been going on for more than 11 years, and each subsequent year of the conflict brings more damage and destruction. Polish Medical Mission has been helping Syrians since 2016, and this year we decided to support the maternity and pediatric hospital in the city of Raqqa, called the “capital of ISIS” during the years of the Islamic State.
Al-Raqqa is a city in Syria on the northeast bank of the Euphrates, about 160 km east of Aleppo. The city is inhabited by 546,000 people, and another 400,000 live in suburban areas. All these people have access to only one maternity and pediatric hospital, which we have decided to support. On March 6, 2013, the armed Syrian opposition seized the city of Al-Raqqa from the troops of the central government and seized control of what was Syria’s sixth-largest city before the war. Al-Raqqa was the first provincial capital to take over from government control. In November of the same year, Al-Raqqa was conquered by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) and became the capital of the soon-announced “caliphate” by the organization. Attempts to recapture the city lasted 4 years and required international intervention in 2017.
Al-Raqqa is a city that experienced a real tragedy during the war. The very fact that the hospital is functioning and helping the residents is the result of the extraordinary effort and courage of the staff. We have been present in Syria for many years and we can see how much remains to be done and how much work is being done by the Syrians to rebuild the country. Ensuring the continued operation of the hospital will contribute to the improvement of the general situation of the city’s inhabitants, who were affected by the events a few years ago, says Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart, project coordinator in Syria.
— says Małgorzata Olasińska-Chart, project coordinator in Syria.
The hospital has a maternity ward that provides services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The maternity ward includes an outpatient ward with advice for women and a 24-hour emergency ward with 3 natural birth rooms and 13 postpartum stationary beds. The Pediatric Unit will continue to provide outpatient advice on common childhood illnesses, infant and child health care, and a pediatric inpatient unit with a capacity of 35 beds for pediatric and neonatal cases 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The neonatal department has 16 incubators and 2 devices for neonatal phototherapy. In addition to the laboratory services that are performed, such as general blood tests and biochemical tests, the hospital has a mobile X-ray machine for various emergency diagnoses and mammography for women. PMM supports the further operation of the hospital and fills the gaps in the provision of basic medical services, so as to ensure the continuity of the facility’s operation. We also support hospital staff by offering them development and incentive systems for medical and non-medical staff. In addition, we cover the costs of operating the facility, such as fuel for generators, hygienic materials, and maintenance of the facility and equipment.
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