The Minister of Health in the Syrian regime, Hussein al-Ghabbash, announced during a dialogue seminar organized by the University of Damascus on Sunday, March 17, that the ministry has initiated the process of converting all hospitals into independent public entities with their own administrative and financial autonomy.
Ghabbash emphasized the necessity of providing medical services free of charge in certain contexts, but also highlighted the drawbacks of unrestricted free service, advocating for its allocation to those truly in need. He underscored the need for amendments to pertinent legislation to address this issue.
Deputy Minister of Health Ahmed Damirieh clarified that the objective isn’t to commercialize the health service sector but rather to enhance the quality of delivery of health services, which has become increasingly costly.
The Prime Ministry, through its Facebook page, announced that the seminar titled “Investment in the Health Sector: Capabilities and Objectives” was held, with participation from representatives of universities and relevant ministries.
Various topics were deliberated during the seminar, including the future role of the government and its implementation strategies, fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors in managing medical facilities, promoting the development of local pharmaceutical industries, and overseeing medical tourism initiatives while assessing the reality of free medical services. Additionally, discussions centred on strengthening the role of health insurance institutions and promoting investment in human capital.
This initiative coincides with the challenges facing the health sector across different areas of control in Syria, characterized by neglect, inadequate services, and operational deficiencies in some health facilities.
Not the first
On July 4, 2022, President Bashar al-Assad of the Syrian regime enacted legislation to restructure university cities as autonomous public entities with administrative independence and financial autonomy.
As outlined in the law, these administrative entities, named after their respective university cities, will possess legal status and financial and administrative independence within each governorate where a university governed by Law No. 6 of 2006, concerning universities and its amendments, is situated. They will be under the authority of the university president.
This article was translated and 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.
