Unrelenting military operations, a severe shortage of medical staff, and the deliberate targeting of medical facilities by regime forces have damaged Syria’s healthcare sector. In response to the situation, Jawad Abu Hatab, a member of the Syrian National Coalition and a physician, launched a project to establish an institute of nursing in the liberated areas.
Abu Hatab said: “The aim of this project is to cope with the deterioration of the Syrian healthcare sector and to address the urgent need for medical facilities, staff and expertise in the liberated areas.”
He noted: “The institute will be established in liberated areas, consisting of several branches in multiple zones so that it would be able to accommodate a large number of students who would apply to the institute. The institute will provide medical sevice in several specialties including general and emergency treatment, intensive care, anesthetics, and midwifery.”
According to Abu Hatab, medical training at the institute will be conducted over two years and will include laboratory and clinical classes. Students will be evenly distributed among classes to ensure their safety in the light of the regime’s deliberate targeting of liberated areas.
Regarding the certificate of training awarded to graduates, Abu Hatab said: “We reached a preliminary agreement with the Ministry of Education of the interim government, which will supervise the institute and prepare regulations that govern the issuance of certificates. If the institute succesfully meets all technical requirements such as curricula and follow-up training, it will gain more recognition.”
Abu Hatab practiced medicine in Syria and has contributed to the rehabilitation of the medical sector in the liberated areas by addressing the shortage of medical staff, which has been caused by the regime’s constant bombardment with heavy weaponry.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer
