Syrian hospitals struggle to care for increased victims of war

World Today

Shelling, constant conflicts lead to more injured in Syrian conflict

Shelling by Syrian rebels on government-controlled areas has become a daily occurrence, causing more injuries than before.

CCTV’s Xu Dezhi reports from Aleppo.

In the footage of rebels launching rockets toward a government-controlled area. Though limited in power, the self-made rocket can threaten the existence of an entire building.

Back in May when we first visited Aleppo this year, people being attacked by shelling told us of their desperation and anxiety over the future.

“At about 11 a.m. on April 28th, a rocket hit this area when I came home. Many neighbors were killed and injured. We really don’t know what to do. Now I have no home to live. Where should I go? Where should I spend the night? I really don’t know,” Local resident Abdul Kader said.

Three months later, the situation is worse. Recent confrontations have made the number of injuries rise even higher.

In the only 2 local public hospitals which are still accept patients. It’s hard to imagine what happened to these innocent people.

The doctors said the rest two public hospitals receive 90 percent of injured. Even those who first went to a private one end up being transferred to these hospitals. There has been a big wave of patients since August.

“We have had more than 1,000 different injuries this month. And 30 of them are in critical condition. In 40 cases, the patients are permanently or temporarily handicapped,” Dr. Zaher Hajio from central hospital of Aleppo University, said.

Doctors from both hospitals said they can see from patients’ injuries that the rebels began using deadlier weapons this month.

“We have witnessed lately a big development in the kinds of weapons that the armed groups are using. We know this by examining the injured bodies. The wounds are more serious because the weapons are now more lethal,” Dr. Hajio said.

“Most of the patients we have received lately are more serious cases, and it looks like highly explosive weapons are being used more by the armed groups,” Alrazi Hospital Dr. Muhammad Bateekh

Though the supply road for the government-controlled area is unstable, the doctors tell us the hospitals have enough medicine and tools for now. But due to the daily shelling, the blood bank is always short on supply.