Turkish hospitals are rejecting patients or medical emergencies from areas it occupies in northwestern Syria that is run by pro-Turkish armed groups, in light of the poor health conditions there.
During the past three months, deaths that occurred due to Turkish refusal to receive Syrian patients, have exceeded ten, according to medical sources in Idleb.
Most of those deaths were children, who were critically burnt during fires that erupted in internally displaced persons’ camps in northwestern Syria.
Turkish authorities do not receive all medical emergencies, risking the lives of dozens of patients, sources told North Press.
On March 9, Turkish doctors at the Bab al-Hawa border crossing refused to transfer a severely burnt patient to Turkish hospitals. She later succumbed to her injuries.
40 hours of suffering
Wafa’ al-Hammdo, a resident of Idleb, told North Press about being forced to wait at the Turkish border for 40 hours with her critically injured child.
“Due to Husam’s critical situation, having several skull fractures leading to internal bleeding, we were referred from Bab al-Hawa hospital to Turkish territory,” she said.
Medical emergencies are referred from Idleb University Hospital or Bab al-Hawa hospital to Turkey, at which point Turkish doctors assess the cases, a medical source told North Press.
Husam had not been allowed in Turkey for two days, because there were more critical cases, according to what Turkish doctors told Hammdo.
Husam lost his life after three days, just a few minutes before being given permission to enter Turkey, according to the mother.
“The approval was made…but it was too late,” Hammdo said painfully.
Turkey receives medical emergencies that have a less than 70 percent chance of survival. This public hospital is the only one that receives Syrian patients in Antakya.
In late December, 42-year-old Maryam al-Hammod, a resident of the south Idleb countryside, lost her life due to heart failure.
Her older son Yahya told North Press that his mother needed an urgent cardiac catheterization that was not available in local hospitals.
Yahya saw the Turkish medical teams in the crossing and they set an appointment for the surgery after four months, which was a very long period according to his mother’s critical condition, and she died before the set time.
This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
