UNDP: Economic Sanctions Imposed on Syria’s Health Sector “Unacceptable”
DAMASCUS, (ST)-Health Minister Nizar Yazigi on Monday met Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Syria Ali al-Zaatari for talks on cooperation and coordination as to meet the increasing needs of the Syrian health sector.
Yazigi called on UNDP to help lift the unfair economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian people and which have badly affected the health sector in the country, particularly in terms of providing medical equipments and certain kinds of medicines like those of cancer and chronic diseases. The consequences of these sanctions have reflected negatively on the level of medical services rendered to citizens across the country, the minister said.
According to Yazigi, the ministry continues providing free medical services as well as medicines to citizens in all Syrian provinces without distinctions. In addition, it facilitates the delivery of medicines and medical aid to restive area, he said.
He called on concerned international organizations to provide support necessary to help rehabilitate damaged hospitals and health centers in all Syrian provinces.
On his part, al-Zaatari said the economic sanctions impose on Syria’s health sector are “unacceptable”, vowing continuous work with other international organizations to call for lifting these unfair coercive measures.
Al-Zaatari expressed readiness for cooperation with the Health Ministry as to overcome obstacles facing the health sector, saying that priority should be given to rehabilitating the health institutions within the framework of the humanitarian response plan for Syria.
More than 36 hospitals and 510 health centers have become out of service because of terrorist attacks on the health sector’s facilities during the ongoing terrorist war on Syria.
Hamda Mustafa