Despite official claims that healthcare in Syria remains free, public hospitals have been in steady decline since the fall of the previous regime. Severe shortages of medicine, medical supplies, and staff have brought the sector close to collapse. Public facilities now struggle to meet even the most basic needs of patients, while critical medical cases are often left untreated.

The shortage in emergency materials, antibiotics, painkillers, and basic lab supplies forces patients to buy medicine themselves. Roweida, a Syrian citizen, shared her experience with Al-Akhbar: “My mother had a sudden health emergency, so I took her to the nearest public hospital. The doctor requested urgent lab tests and X-rays, but none of the equipment was available. Even the emergency room asked me to buy basic supplies like syringes, gauze, disinfectants, antibiotics, and painkillers. I left and reached out to a charity, which thankfully covered the treatment costs.” She added that her late father had been a retired officer and that their family once received proper, free medical care at military hospitals before the authorities shut them down and dismissed their staff.

Private hospitals are not a better alternative for most Syrians. Their high costs weigh heavily on low-income families, forcing many to borrow money or sell belongings to cover medical expenses, especially in the absence of government support or insurance. Fares Amin, who traveled from Latakia, said he moved his sick father from a public hospital to a private one because of poor service. Within a week, the bill for his father’s stay and treatment exceeded nine million Syrian pounds, and his father still passed away.

Still, many poor and working-class Syrians continue to rely on public hospitals. Although the quality of care has deteriorated sharply, hospital stays and consultations remain free, though often handled by medical students. Ziad, a former physician at a public health center in Damascus, said signs of collapse are visible everywhere. “The hospital where I worked lost over 60% of its medical and administrative staff in recent years due to emigration or retirement without replacement. Wages are too low to attract new hires. The emergency department now handles twice its intended capacity, leading to overcrowding, long delays, and patients leaving without treatment.”

“Private hospitals are not a better alternative for most Syrians. Their high costs weigh heavily on low-income families, forcing many to borrow money or sell belongings to cover medical expenses, especially in the absence of government support or insurance.”

According to World Health Organization data, about 70% of Syria’s healthcare workers have left the country. Medical students and residents who remain are seeking opportunities abroad, in Europe, the US, or the Gulf, as government policies of marginalization and prolonged unpaid leave deepen the crisis.

The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor recently warned that “Syria’s healthcare system faces the risk of total collapse.” It pointed to collapsing infrastructure, shortages of medicine and supplies, dwindling qualified staff, and the closure of medical facilities. These factors, it said, put millions of lives at risk. The group warned that continued instability in Syria is severely threatening access to essential healthcare, and that 15.8 million people are currently in urgent need of medical assistance.

The monitor held the Syrian authorities primarily responsible for ensuring the right to health. It called for a comprehensive national strategy to rebuild the healthcare system and ensure sustainable funding for the sector, ending its excessive reliance on foreign aid.

The transitional government, meanwhile, continues to blame the previous regime for the deterioration of hospitals. It has pledged to rehabilitate and modernize healthcare facilities. A Health Ministry source said the ministry’s current plans focus on providing and upgrading medical equipment in hospitals nationwide through international aid and humanitarian partnerships.

The source added that specialized foreign medical teams have been brought in to handle complex surgeries, while basic services are managed with limited resources. Retaining and replenishing staff is part of the ministry’s future plans, including higher compensation and new recruitment drives for qualified professionals.

The Ministry of Higher Education, which oversees university hospitals, said the poor state of services stems from long-standing issues inherited from the previous regime. It added that it is now working with local and international partners to address these gaps, improve medical equipment, and coordinate with NGOs and donor organizations to meet urgent needs and accelerate the delivery of medical supplies.

First published in Al-Akhbar

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