SYRIANNEWS — broadcast
20260806 020000 UTC
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[00:00:00] with a type of
[00:00:01] in cooperation with the Digital
[00:00:30] Douma National Hospital returns to work after its rehabilitation and the opening of new
[00:00:34] departments with modern equipment
[00:00:40] homes. Here, in and technology. And this morning, the conclusion of the cycling championship
[00:00:43] activities hosted by
[00:00:46] of staff, meaning Tartus Governorate.
[00:00:58] services. Schools are about
[00:01:17] from the Ministry of Health, which approved
[00:01:24] including drivers and nurses.
[00:01:36] Good morning again, viewers. We start today's episode with of struggle, nights of
[00:01:40] our correspondent Hussein Al-Tawil to talk about
[00:01:44] are some obstacles in providing some the departure of families from Al-Dana camps in Idlib countryside, returning to their villages and homes in the Al-Ghab
[00:01:47] plain in Hama Governorate. Good morning,
[00:01:51] Hussein. Hussein is with us from Idlib countryside. First,
[00:01:56] Omran, one of the distinguished is there a specific number
[00:01:57] hope in God that of families that left Al-Dana camp, returning to their homes in Hama
[00:02:00] countryside?
[00:02:05] Good morning to you and good morning to all Syrians this
[00:02:09] morning. Of course, yesterday,
[00:02:12] Al-Dana camps
[00:02:15] witnessed the departure of about
[00:02:18] 98 families towards their original
[00:02:21] areas in the northern Hama countryside
[00:02:24] and he will agree to and the western Hama countryside. Of course, this scene
[00:02:28] so that there is no pressure on has started to repeat itself during the past period.
[00:02:30] We have been seeing every
[00:02:33] plan of the Ministry of Health, day new convoys to the northern Hama
[00:02:37] countryside, to the original
[00:02:40] homeland that its people left years
[00:02:43] ago under a hail of shelling
[00:02:46] during the period of displacement.
[00:02:49] Of course, during our observation
[00:02:53] of the returning convoys, we saw
[00:02:55] efforts preceded this the joy on the faces of adults before
[00:02:58] children. We saw astonishment among
[00:03:01] children who were born in displacement
[00:03:04] camps. Astonishment from those
[00:03:08] areas and what they have become due to destruction
[00:03:11] and then we would have a second period and ruin. And despite all these
[00:03:14] difficulties, we saw hope on
[00:03:18] the faces
[00:03:20] idea relieves of adults who have memories connecting them to their original
[00:03:24] preceded the opening of this areas. We saw hope among
[00:03:27] children. We talked to them,
[00:03:30] and they told us that they will build
[00:03:35] at the latest. Yes, Hussein, this is the joy of return, to
[00:03:38] the land and to the original home. There
[00:03:42] are definitely many difficulties in these areas, but let me
[00:03:45] ask you, Hussein, before that, is there still
[00:03:49] some families in the
[00:03:50] camp?
[00:03:56] Unfortunately, there are still some families in the camps, but
[00:04:00] it is a temporary phase. According to the
[00:04:03] plan, by
[00:04:05] 2026,
[00:04:09] However, this there will be no camps. So, we confirm that this
[00:04:12] period is a temporary period until
[00:04:18] correct form. There are many the situation is rehabilitated further to suit the needs
[00:04:21] of the residents and to suit
[00:04:24] their return to their original
[00:04:26] many specialized areas. Of course, registration of residents
[00:04:31] in all Syrian governorates, and also in wishing to return to their areas
[00:04:35] is currently ongoing,
[00:04:37] coordination for many and the concerned authorities are working to end
[00:04:41] this term.
[00:04:48] The main reliance was on Even before the opening, in one So, God willing, we will soon finish the discussion of camps completely and
[00:04:51] will not see them again, according to what
[00:04:54] they told us
[00:04:57] many technicians every time we interview them during the return of
[00:05:00] what was provided to the residents to facilitate their return to
[00:05:02] their homes.
[00:05:09] some guards, Currently, upon departure, families are provided
[00:05:13] food basket, which is called an emergency
[00:05:16] basket. It consists of logistical
[00:05:19] materials that help them
[00:05:22] to stay in
[00:05:25] their original homeland, such
[00:05:27] as sponges and household
[00:05:31] items, kitchen
[00:05:33] utensils of this kind. This
[00:05:37] is the basket called the emergency basket, in addition
[00:05:41] to providing transportation for furniture
[00:05:45] and air-conditioned buses for
[00:05:48] transporting people to their original
[00:05:52] the original home, work
[00:05:55] is being done to rehabilitate all services
[00:05:59] that help residents to remain
[00:06:02] in their areas.
[00:06:05] Of course, the services we mentioned include
[00:06:08] education to finish
[00:06:12] the renovation process. So, very
[00:06:16] soon, we will witness a complete
[00:06:19] return of schools that were destroyed by the former regime,
[00:06:22] in addition to health services, water
[00:06:25] services, and the rehabilitation of roads. In fact, there
[00:06:28] are services being worked on now
[00:06:32] sequentially. Despite the extent of the
[00:06:35] great destruction, the
[00:06:37] reconstruction and
[00:06:41] restoration of these services,
[00:06:44] especially basic services, to the area,
[00:06:48] despite, as you mentioned, the extensive
[00:06:51] damage and great need. We wish
[00:06:54] them a safe and dignified return
[00:06:58] and a new life.
[00:07:54] Good morning again, viewers. After 13
[00:07:57] years since Douma National Hospital was destroyed by
[00:08:01] the shelling of the defunct regime, it returns to work again to serve
[00:08:04] 55,000 people. In fact, great
[00:08:08] inauguration, including rehabilitation and the opening of new
[00:08:11] departments with modern equipment and technologies.
[00:08:14] To talk more, we are pleased to have with us Dr. Tawfiq
[00:08:18] Ismail Hisbeh, Director of Health of Rural Damascus. Good morning,
[00:08:22] Doctor. Welcome. This is a blessed
[00:08:25] step and great efforts to reopen this hospital
[00:08:29] and serve a large number of residents.
[00:08:32] The inauguration has taken place, but before that, tell us about the stages that
[00:08:37] hospital. In fact,
[00:08:40] we started from scratch.
[00:08:43] It was a dream,
[00:08:47] and through multiple stages and severe
[00:08:51] suffering, thank God, this dream has become an achievement and a reality.
[00:08:55] Yesterday, between clinic
[00:08:57] patients, surgeries, and emergency,
[00:09:00] more than 500 services were provided to patients.
[00:09:04] 500 patients. Hmm.
[00:09:07] The hospital is the result of a combination of several efforts, starting
[00:09:10] with a grant from the Japanese government.
[00:09:13] And implemented by the World Health Organization
[00:09:16] and supervised by the Ministry of Health.
[00:09:21] product did not reach the hospital stage until the efforts
[00:09:24] of the local community completed this framework
[00:09:27] and brought it out in its departments that were
[00:09:31] not taken into
[00:09:35] consideration and were implemented by the local community over
[00:09:38] a year and a half directly after the liberation. The
[00:09:44] important expansion was actually in the
[00:09:47] emergency department. There is an emergency
[00:09:49] department with a high degree of
[00:09:53] independence. This means that a patient who comes to the emergency department has all matters handled, and even if
[00:09:56] they need surgical intervention without entering the hospital.
[00:10:00] The emergency department has an emergency operating room fully
[00:10:04] equipped, a post-operative monitoring room, a temporary
[00:10:08] recovery room, and an emergency intensive care room
[00:10:11] if needed. Acceptance to the intensive care department, a special emergency lab
[00:10:15] for the emergency department, a CT scan
[00:10:19] also for the hospital and it is located in the
[00:10:22] emergency department, meaning complete independence so that there is
[00:10:26] no congestion in the other departments of the hospital, and this is one of the international
[00:10:30] standards. The other
[00:10:32] departments available in the hospital
[00:10:36] that are considered distinguished are the
[00:10:39] intensive care unit. Eight
[00:10:42] beds, one of which is equipped with a kidney dialysis machine so that
[00:10:46] we do not have to move the patient from the intensive care unit to the kidney
[00:10:49] dialysis unit. All matters are handled in the intensive care unit.
[00:10:52] Also, the nursery department has 13 incubators,
[00:10:56] equipped with all equipment, including artificial
[00:10:59] respiration devices for newborns and children.
[00:11:03] Also, there is a central laboratory
[00:11:06] with the latest equipment, and follow-up will be done
[00:11:10] to add hormonal and specialized
[00:11:13] analyses. This is
[00:11:17] a start that will be followed by
[00:11:20] follow-up and other additions, and the local
[00:11:23] community will continue to support
[00:11:27] and add new building blocks to this
[00:11:30] building to add other specialties. Yes, also
[00:11:33] the surgery department, the obstetrics and gynecology
[00:11:37] department, a special operating room for the obstetrics and gynecology department,
[00:11:40] and a special operating room for the surgery department. The hospital has
[00:11:43] three operating rooms, eight
[00:11:45] modern
[00:11:48] dialysis machines. All supplies are available
[00:11:52] to all patients free of charge.
[00:11:56] To be honest and transparent, some
[00:11:58] matters can be contributed
[00:12:01] to by the patient or even the local community in providing them.
[00:12:05] Yes, there
[00:12:09] types of medicines or even some supplies or materials for orthopedic
[00:12:12] surgery, and these can be covered by the Ministry of Health through
[00:12:15] campaigns. Yes, Doctor, regarding the geographical
[00:12:18] scope, what is the geographical scope that the hospital
[00:12:21] will cover? Now, the population of Douma
[00:12:25] city is around, according to the statements of the local council,
[00:12:27] 55,000 people, but there
[00:12:31] are additional villages
[00:12:33] and towns belonging to the Douma region,
[00:12:37] and it can serve the entire population of Eastern Ghouta. Now, before
[00:12:41] Douma Hospital, there was Harasta Hospital, which carried the burden of the entire
[00:12:44] Eastern Ghouta. It is the only general hospital in this
[00:12:48] region, and it has limited capabilities, although
[00:12:52] all specialties are available in it, and it makes efforts. Harasta
[00:12:55] Hospital came to be a support.
[00:12:58] With the assistance between Douma Hospital and Harasta Hospital, we cover
[00:13:02] all residents of the eastern region, the Eastern
[00:13:05] Ghouta region, with an approximate population of 2.5 million people. Of course, this
[00:13:09] also covers neighboring
[00:13:11] areas. Health services do not know
[00:13:14] geography. This hospital receives traffic accident victims who
[00:13:18] may be citizens from other governorates, and this
[00:13:21] is the case in all governorates, especially when the hospital
[00:13:25] is on international roads, roads that
[00:13:28] connect governorates with each other. It has no relation to the geographical
[00:13:31] region, as much as it knows the borders. It
[00:13:34] has to do with the extent of the hospital's capacity and the hospital's
[00:13:38] ability to meet these needs. So, thank
[00:13:41] God, the capacity is good for
[00:13:44] the hospital and for the equipped departments. Let's go back to
[00:13:47] the idea you talked about. The hospital's
[00:13:50] services are completely
[00:13:52] 100% free.
[00:13:55] The private section you mentioned regarding some
[00:13:58] financial or material coverage is donations from the local
[00:14:01] community, or are there departments with a symbolic fee, for example?
[00:14:05] No, there is no fee in the hospital, but some orthopedic
[00:14:09] surgeries that require certain materials are, unfortunately, in
[00:14:11] all hospitals, the patient bears
[00:14:14] the cost, even though I mentioned that through the campaigns
[00:14:18] carried out by the Ministry of Health, some of these
[00:14:21] materials are provided and meet the needs
[00:14:25] of citizens through certain links that are announced for each
[00:14:29] campaign. Yes, Doctor, you mentioned that, thank
[00:14:32] God, all types of specialties
[00:14:35] are available for care. So, regarding the medical
[00:14:39] staff, are all specialties available, or is there still a shortage?
[00:14:42] In fact, over approximately one year,
[00:14:46] thanks to God and the steps taken by the Ministry of Health,
[00:14:51] doctors have been provided in various
[00:14:55] specialties, such as cardiology,
[00:14:57] emergency, neurology, and
[00:15:00] gastroenterology. Also, the hospital is distinguished
[00:15:04] by an advanced gastrointestinal endoscopy unit.
[00:15:09] of the campaigns, 25
[00:15:12] diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopies were performed
[00:15:15] before the hospital was opened.
[00:15:19] Also, through the Ministry of Health,
[00:15:22] and nurses were contracted,
[00:15:26] especially those who were dismissed for reasons related to the revolution.
[00:15:29] They have been reinstated to work,
[00:15:34] a limited number of administrators, meaning the entire staff currently available.
[00:15:38] The hospital has 255 staff members, but
[00:15:42] to be honest, if the hospital wants to operate at its full capacity and all departments
[00:15:45] are activated, according to international norms, the hospital has
[00:15:49] around 82 beds specifically.
[00:15:52] The emergency department alone has 19
[00:15:56] beds. This means that according to these standards, this hospital needs
[00:15:59] 700 staff members. Currently, there are 255.
[00:16:02] This means there is a difference, but now
[00:16:05] the hospital is at the beginning of its launch, although the indicators show that we
[00:16:09] need to complete the rest of the staff as soon as possible because
[00:16:12] of the shortage of staff in the hospital. Now, it is the
[00:16:16] circumstances that the region went through, the
[00:16:19] migration that took place for the staff, the shortage
[00:16:24] many of the staff
[00:16:27] are available, but the recovery
[00:16:30] wheel has started. The steps that
[00:16:33] the Ministry of Health has taken in cooperation with
[00:16:37] the Ministry of Finance, and these are government directives, the issue of qualitative
[00:16:40] increase for staff, the issue of raising salaries,
[00:16:43] this will certainly lead to attracting
[00:16:47] many staff to work in government
[00:16:50] hospitals, and this is what we hope from God Almighty. Also, through the proposal
[00:16:54] I presented, I would like to make a call, let's call it
[00:16:57] a call for return. There are specialties that are
[00:17:01] indispensable, and frankly and transparently, let's talk about the
[00:17:05] reality. This hospital, in order to be 100%
[00:17:08] activated in terms of surgical operations, and for me to be able to perform surgical operations around the clock
[00:17:11] and on a daily basis, the only anesthesiologist
[00:17:15] available is one. Can he cover three operating
[00:17:19] rooms around the clock? This is impossible. It is impossible.
[00:17:23] Yes, it is not almost impossible, but impossible. Impossible.
[00:17:25] The need for specialized
[00:17:29] specialties that we need will be
[00:17:31] announced, and we
[00:17:34] our hopes will not be disappointed. God willing,
[00:17:37] there will be demand. The day before yesterday,
[00:17:41] I was in contact with an anesthesiologist, and he promised that
[00:17:44] he would follow up on the contracting procedures.
[00:17:47] There is an anesthesiologist from Douma
[00:17:50] city. Certainly, the Ministry of Health opens its doors
[00:17:53] to everyone. He will be
[00:17:55] retired, he will return to work on what is called
[00:17:59] salary difference,
[00:18:02] return on this basis. Also, the Ministry
[00:18:05] of Health has opened the doors for volunteering. We have an
[00:18:09] anesthesiologist who works voluntarily in Harasta
[00:18:11] Hospital, and this procedure means he anesthetizes
[00:18:15] a patient. There is medical responsibility, legal responsibility,
[00:18:17] Doctor. Generally, anesthesiologists are few in Syria,
[00:18:21] meaning the numbers are very small. So, are there future plans
[00:18:24] to increase their numbers? Are there encouraging things, for example, and most
[00:18:28] anesthesiologists are also outside the country? Now they have been distinguished even
[00:18:31] by a qualitative increase, meaning they received more than others
[00:18:35] to attract them to hospitals. And as I told you,
[00:18:39] we currently have three anesthesiologists
[00:18:42] in the contracting process for the Rural Damascus Health Directorate.
[00:18:45] Of course, anesthesiologists cover more than one hospital.
[00:18:48] So far, we have hospitals that do not have
[00:18:52] an anesthesiologist, but according to the directives of
[00:18:56] the Ministry of Health, there is cooperation between the Damascus
[00:18:59] and Rural Damascus Health Directorates to provide rural Damascus
[00:19:02] hospitals with doctors from Damascus hospitals
[00:19:06] to patients and for consultation. So today,
[00:19:10] the priority in the hospital is the staff, the
[00:19:13] specialized staff
[00:19:15] that the hospital needs. Okay, back to the
[00:19:19] hospital. You mentioned that there
[00:19:22] are modern devices and perhaps modern technologies
[00:19:26] that have been introduced. Is there anything that the hospital specializes
[00:19:29] in, meaning this device might not be found in another hospital? Are
[00:19:32] there special devices in the hospital that were
[00:19:35] not previously available?
[00:19:38] Generally, yes, certainly, many devices have been added because medical equipment
[00:19:42] is developing day by day.
[00:19:45] However, it is generally, not only in
[00:19:48] rural Damascus, but in all governorates, the Ministry of Health is heading towards
[00:19:52] this specific point. The difficult legacy of dilapidated
[00:19:55] and old equipment. Now, I tell you, I have
[00:19:58] a CT scan in Al-Zabadani Hospital, and it is a basic
[00:20:00] hospital, meaning there is no other
[00:20:04] CT scan in the entire region. Their CT scan
[00:20:08] is 15 years old. Even the company that needs
[00:20:12] to maintain it says it needs
[00:20:14] devices, and the Ministry of Health is working to replace
[00:20:18] them. In our country, a very
[00:20:22] device was installed by the local community in Al-Nabk Hospital.
[00:20:25] In Yabroud Hospital, a device was also installed. This is
[00:20:28] a plan for the Ministry of Health, so much so that it emphasized
[00:20:31] not accepting any used equipment.
[00:20:35] The equipment currently available in Douma Hospital
[00:20:38] is considered modern and very modern.
[00:20:41] Now, among the steps that will be activated
[00:20:45] is the issue of automation, and this is a primary goal or
[00:20:48] strategic plan for the Ministry of Health
[00:20:51] Transformation Directorate. We started this issue since the beginning, meaning
[00:20:55] it's a new hospital, I won't go back years and automate
[00:20:58] information. So from the beginning, God willing, there is a plan
[00:21:01] for this hospital to be a fully automated
[00:21:05] digital hospital. God willing, Doctor, let's clarify
[00:21:08] more, meaning this hospital will receive emergency
[00:21:11] cases more, or will it specialize in surgical
[00:21:14] operations? No, its emergency department is open around the clock.
[00:21:18] The emergency department is open around the clock, but regarding surgical operations,
[00:21:22] it will be qualified for this, and ambulances are available.
[00:21:25] Of course, in the Rural Damascus Health Directorate,
[00:21:29] there is what is called the referral, ambulance, and emergency system,
[00:21:32] which has a geographical distribution throughout the governorate. We have
[00:21:35] 45 ambulances that are continuously updated
[00:21:38] and reinforced with additional vehicles by the Ministry of Health.
[00:21:41] It operates with a referral
[00:21:44] and response system to the emergency call 110.
[00:21:48] Of course, in every hospital in rural
[00:21:50] areas, there is an ambulance. Some hospitals have two ambulances.
[00:21:54] We hope that all our hospitals are equipped with a sufficient number of
[00:21:58] ambulances. Also, on the occasion
[00:22:01] of securing human resources, since the
[00:22:04] beginning of the year, there was a directive
[00:22:07] the contracting of more than 120 staff
[00:22:11] members for the ambulance system,
[00:22:14] This led to an increase in the deployment
[00:22:17] of ambulances throughout the governorate. There were
[00:22:21] blind spots, areas not covered, by providing
[00:22:24] this staff and providing ambulances. It has become
[00:22:28] covered, even if the coverage is not
[00:22:31] real. The presence of a referral room or
[00:22:34] a response room that monitors the deployment of ambulances
[00:22:38] and monitors the response to emergency calls and monitors
[00:22:41] the transfer of patients between hospitals, meaning a patient
[00:22:45] might be seen at a hospital, but this service is not available
[00:22:48] in that hospital. So, through the emergency and referral room,
[00:22:52] they are transferred to the hospital that has the service
[00:22:54] available, and with coordination, meaning the patient does
[00:22:58] not go and ask and find out. Through this room,
[00:23:01] they are transferred by ambulance to the target hospital that has the required service.
[00:23:05] Okay, regarding the appointment system or the
[00:23:08] system for specialized clinics
[00:23:12] or even for operations, how is communication done?
[00:23:14] How are appointments registered
[00:23:18] the hospital? In fact, within the digital transformation
[00:23:23] this issue is taken into account and is being studied. But currently,
[00:23:27] in fact, and this is what we observed yesterday on the first
[00:23:30] day of the inauguration, we only have four clinics
[00:23:34] due to the small size of the department. It will be expanded, God willing,
[00:23:37] as I mentioned, the local community will follow up on
[00:23:40] the expansion and the addition of clinics.
[00:23:43] cover everything: internal medicine, neurology, pediatrics, general
[00:23:47] surgery, orthopedic surgery, but all through four
[00:23:50] clinics. So yesterday, the idea came up to have the clinics continuous,
[00:23:54] meaning these four clinics could receive four specialties in one hour,
[00:23:58] from 8:30 to 1:00,
[00:24:01] from 1:30, for example, to rearrange the clinics
[00:24:05] and receive patients from 1:30 to 6:30. This
[00:24:10] pressure on the emergency department or organizes it. Now, many
[00:24:14] patients, unfortunately, resort to the emergency department, why? Because there is no clinic
[00:24:18] and the clinic system currently used by the Ministry of Health. The clinic might stay open until
[00:24:21] 2:30 or 3:00
[00:24:25] This is not enough, because after that, a patient might come, meaning now many patients might
[00:24:28] come to the emergency department, but they are managed by the clinic. So, to relieve
[00:24:32] pressure on the emergency department, both shifts
[00:24:36] must be activated in the clinics, and this is what
[00:24:40] will be done, God willing. God willing, Doctor, the ambition is great,
[00:24:43] and the plans that have been made are many. This citizen
[00:24:46] deserves it, meaning he has suffered and
[00:24:50] been deprived of health services, and I consider this hospital
[00:24:53] to be a gateway to recovery. The Ministry
[00:24:56] of Health, as I said, launched the slogan "Human First," meaning that this
[00:24:59] human deserves
[00:25:01] it. Rural Damascus Governorate launched more
[00:25:05] than one campaign: "Rural Damascus at your service," "Our countryside
[00:25:09] deserves." Through these initiatives, a
[00:25:13] roadmap for recovery is being drawn, and its signs
[00:25:16] are appearing day by day at all service levels. God willing, the efforts are clear, and we see them
[00:25:21] the regions. So, in the near future,
[00:25:25] will there be development of clinics, as you mentioned, or will
[00:25:28] new departments be rehabilitated and added? God willing,
[00:25:32] work will be done on a building for resident
[00:25:36] doctors. They have the right, even the
[00:25:38] resident doctor, to be able to give.
[00:25:42] We need to provide the means
[00:25:45] that make him work with higher efficiency,
[00:25:49] including building accommodation. A plan to build
[00:25:52] warehouses, because I cannot occupy rooms
[00:25:55] for patients and put warehouse
[00:25:59] materials in them. There will be a special building block for
[00:26:02] warehouses. Also, among the works that will be done and have been
[00:26:05] approved is a directive from the Ministry of Health to have
[00:26:09] a nursing class in Douma Hospital, Al-Tel Hospital,
[00:26:13] and Atnah Hospital to attract staff
[00:26:16] and fill the shortage we face in nursing
[00:26:20] staff. God willing, these challenges, which we might
[00:26:24] call them now, will be overcome, and these
[00:26:26] staff will be provided urgently to the hospital,
[00:26:30] and there will indeed be attention
[00:26:43] to the issue of organizing patients to reduce pressure on you and also to reduce pressure on citizens. I want to thank you very much, Dr. Tawfiq Ismail Hisbeh, Director of Health of Rural Damascus. Thank you very much for lighting up this morning. Welcome.