The Syrian civil war has caused the country's healthcare system to collapse, which led to the death of hundreds of thousands of patients.
In a report released by Save the Children, an international independent charity that promotes children's rights, it was revealed that since the war began in 2011, about 60 percent of hospitals in Syria were destroyed. The war also brought shortages in water supply and electricity.
"Syria's health system is now in such disarray that we have heard reports of doctors using old clothes for bandages and patients opting to be knocked unconscious with metal bars, because there are no anesthetics," said in a report issued to Reuters.
Damaged hospital equipments and machines caused amputations in kids just to stop patients from bleeding, and deaths due to receipt of incompatible blood type. Shortage in water supply made sterilization of operating equipments impossible, which increased risks of infections and possible deaths. Shortage in electric supply, on the other hand, caused newborns to freeze and die in hospital incubators.
Furthermore, it caused a shortage in manpower, which prompted parents and watchers to infuse and administer drugs to their patients.
According to the Syrian American Medical Society, over 200,000 Syrians had died from chronic illnesses due to lack of access to medications and treatment.
The report also noted the effect of the war with Syria's immunization coverage, which fell from 91 percent to 68 percent, that resulted to the outbreak of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, polio, and meningitis.
"Children born after 2010 have not been vaccinated for two years. There have been heavy restrictions in access to vaccines and health workers have not been able to reach children in need," stated in the report. "Immediate investment in, and access to, child-focused health services is needed to ensure that children are not dying from preventable and treatable injuries and illnesses."
Through this report, the organization urged to allow humanitarian groups liberty to visit all areas in the country and be allowed to cross borders, after ceasefires.
