Dr. Khaled Moussa, head of the Damascus Countryside Doctors Syndicate, revealed that there are medical specialties that are at risk of disappearing in Syria, such as forensic medicine, vascular and kidney surgery, and anesthesia if the situation continues. The students’ demand for them remains weak.
In remarks carried by Radio Melody FM, Moussa added that if the country reaches this matter, those concerned will have to import specialist doctors from abroad.
Moussa confirmed the departure of several graduates of medical college graduates abroad for different purposes, either to pursue a specialization or to work. He added, “some doctors go to unsafe countries such as Yemen, Somalia, and others search for jobs.”
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There are 2,428 registered doctors in Damascus Countryside, in addition to 499 expatriate doctors outside the country, according to Moussa. He pointed out that this figure represents one-fifth of the governorate’s doctors. In the entire governorate, there is only one vascular surgeon, while we need a minimum of 12 doctors. He confirmed that there is no thoracic surgeon in the governorate.
With regard to the specialty of anesthesia, he confirmed that this specialty is facing a very big shortage. For more than five years, no resident doctor has entered the governorate with a specialization in anesthesia. He pointed out that there are only 6 doctors in Syria who have taken the board exam in the specialty of anesthesia, while the ratio should be 40-50 in order to restore the severe deficiency.
The problem of the lack of some medical specialties has raised many concerns in the medical sector for years, but this shortage seems to be increasing day by day without a clear mechanism to attract doctors and support them to continue in the country, where the majority of its people suffer from a significant decrease in the living ability.
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.
