Ayman al-Khayal, a 43-year-old kidney failure patient in Idlib, Syria, relies on free dialysis at Bab al-Hawa Hospital, but the facility faces closure due to a funding crisis, jeopardizing care for hundreds of thousands of patients. With 32,000 monthly patients, the hospital provides essential services, including cancer treatment and surgeries, to a population of over 3 million. The decline in funding is attributed to donor reluctance and competing global crises, leaving healthcare facilities struggling. If closed, the remaining facilities will be overwhelmed, potentially leading to a medical crisis.
Al-Khayal, paralyzed from the waist down after a shooting incident, depends on dialysis for survival and worries about the high costs of treatment at private hospitals if Bab al-Hawa closes. Transportation to other hospitals would also pose a financial burden. The hospital’s director, Dr. Mohammed Hamra, plans volunteer work to keep the hospital running, but a long-term solution is needed. The UN warns that the health sector in northwest Syria is on the brink of collapse, with a third of facilities non-functional and more closures expected by December.
Amidst economic pressure and epidemics, including COVID-19 and cholera, patients’ inability to afford private care exacerbates the healthcare crisis. Alternative solutions proposed include merging facilities, securing new donors, and introducing patient fees. However, patients like al-Khayal fear that these measures may not be enough to ensure continued access to life-saving treatments. As the end of September approaches, the urgency to address the funding crisis at Bab al-Hawa Hospital grows, highlighting the dire consequences that closure would bring to the already struggling healthcare system in Syria’s opposition-controlled areas.
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