doctorswithoutborders:

Syria: Safety of Wounded and Medical Workers Must be Prioritized

Wounded people and medical workers remain targeted and threatened in parts of Syria, preventing people from receiving life-saving emergency medical care MSF said today, following recent visits to parts of Syria by MSF medical teams.

After reaching the governorates of Homs and later Idlib, MSF teams found patients and doctors at risk of attack and arrest. MSF first reported in early February on the abuse of health facilities and the targeting of patients and medical workers. All parties to the conflict must fully respect the safety and integrity of wounded people, doctors, and healthcare facilities, MSF said.

“Being caught with patients is like being caught with a weapon,” said an orthopedic surgeon whom MSF met in a village in Idlib governorate. “The atmosphere in most medical facilities is extremely tense; health care workers send wounded patients home and provide only first aid so that facilities can be evacuated quickly in the event of a military operation.”

Photo:A burned out medical center in Idlib.
Syria 2012 © MSF