The South African-based humanitarian organisation, Gift of the Givers, says its hospital in Darkoush in Syria has been overrun with casualties following fives days of fighting which saw government troops routed from Idlib City about 40 kilometres away.
The organisation's founder and spokesperson, Dr Imtiaaz Sooliman, says they had have opened three additional theatres to cater for the huge influx of casualties from Idlib City the capital of Idlib Province.
He says the some of the casualties were victims of chemical weapons, namely chlorine gas.
"The hospital was a simple non-medical building in Darkoush which we converted into an emergency medical facility within 70 days at the beginning of 2013," Sooliman said in a statement Tuesday.
"We then took South African medical teams to serve the hospital and surrounding areas in April 2013. It was very apparent that the future needs of Syria would require a vastly expanded medical facility given that Assad's regime deliberately targets medical facilities and medical personnel."
"A report by Physicians for Human Rights documents the destruction of 189 medical facilities and the death of 660 medical personnel as a direct onslaught by Assad's forces in a four year period. Indeed, Assad tried on many occasions to bomb the Gift of the Givers Hospital. Many of the medical personnel serving there have come from other bombed medical facilities. Dr Ahmad Ghandour, head of our medical facility was arrested in Aleppo for saving the lives of ordinary civilians," he added.
"He managed to escape to Darkoush in 2012 and is responsible for the establishment of the entire medical facility which now is a three storey multidisciplinary facility with further expansion of an equal sized building directly opposite the present hospital."
Dr Sooliman said a report by report by Physicians for Human Rights documented the destruction of 189 medical facilities and the death of 660 medical personnel as a direct onslaught by Syrian government forces.
"Indeed, Assad tried on many occasions to bomb the Gift of the Givers Hospital. Many of the medical personnel serving there have come from other bombed medical facilities. Dr Ahmad Ghandour, head of our medical facility was arrested in Aleppo for saving the lives of ordinary civilians. He managed to escape to Darkoush in 2012 and is responsible for the establishment of the entire medical facility which now is a three storey multidisciplinary facility with further expansion of an equal sized building directly opposite the present hospital."
Sooliman said the Gift of the Givers Hospital treats 10 000 patients monthly, many of whom are civilian casualties.
"Many have died on the way to the hospital as they come from various areas including Homs, Latakia and Aleppo for skilled medical care. Gift of the Givers provides more than just total medical care to our hospital. Medical supplies are given to many hospitals but most of which have been destroyed now; in cases of heavy bombing we send medical teams to assist the limited medical personnel in other areas including Aleppo," he added.
"Food, water, tents, baby milk powder, diapers, blankets, clothing, support of refugee camps, education and sending primary health care medical teams to refugee camps are other services we provide inside Syria. We thank all those who have assisted in saving thousands of innocent lives and providing care to a nation suffering unimaginable difficulty, 14 million of whom are internally and externally displaced," said Sooliman.
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Dr Ahmed Ghandour at the bombed out Idlib Hospital.
Inside Idlib Hospital
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(Images: Supplied
