Another Dr. commented, "And yes, our medical profession has been criticized along with our government because it is claimed by some that some injured people may not want to come to our hospital thinking we might report them to the police. We will not. Does that not also happen in every society? Someone is injured while doing something wrong or criminal and they are afraid of being arrested so they seek alternative treatment from friends or private clinics. Yes, that sometimes happens in our country. Every citizen can choose where they seek treatment."
Syria medical staffs firmly reject what they consider AI's shallow "investigation" that did not, but could have, included AI visiting any of Syria's 90 public hospitals. The staff pictured above emphasized that it's not too late for AI to do its research inside Syria rather than via U-tube or Al Jazeera type "evidence."
This observer also toured Syria's Al Mouwasat government hospital and met at length with a variety of staff just as AI could have and still can. Al Mouwasat, with approximately 850 beds was founded in 1946, the year the French occupiers left. It is Syria's oldest and largest and has received dozens of patients over the past six months who had been injured during anti-government demonstrations. I participated in briefings from several physicians and staff including the Hospital administrator, physicians and nurses. We discussed at length any subject I raised including AI accusations.
Syria's Al Mouwasat public hospital founded in 1946 and free to all. 1946 was the same year US President Harry Truman promised to "take on that mean trust-the American Medical Association" and enact free health care for all Americans. 64 years later the gap between Syria and the US in terms of civilized and affordable medical care for its citizens is vast.
Among those who discussed rumors that some Syrian medical staff refused treatment or reported to authorities or intimidated patients were surgeon Dr. Osama Yousef Shahin, Dr. Ayham Obied vascular surgeon, Dr. Imad Alasha, Director of the ER Department, and ER surgeon Dr. D. Shadia as well as Mouwasat hospital's Administrator and various staff. All can be contacted directly via the hospital email address which is info@almouwasat and arrangements can be made for visitors to come and see for themselves. One doctor who appeared a bit offended by AI type accusations even offered to request from among scores of current or former patients their permission to provide AI with their phone numbers so they could discuss privately sweeping and unsupported allegations against the Syrian Medical community that they work in cooperation with militias or security services. Dr. Alusha explained: "A few are still hospitalized and others even come from "field hospitals" set up by opponents of the government. We do not ask them anything about where they received earlier treatment or their political views. We have not seen any of the claimed patient betrayal events described in some western media reports."
Al Mouwasat has 4 ER operating theatres and routinely does about 50 operations per day. As with other hospitals visited, May 2011 was the most active month recently for Syria's ER departments which are always open 24/7 with no cost to any patient, domestic or foreign. Al Mouwasat hospital, like Damascus General Hospital and others, has received patients from Deraa, Homs, Hama, Idlib, and other communities. Dr. Shahin explained that "any human being will be treated here without charge and without politics or the police being summoned and for as long as necessary until the patient regains good health. Jewish patients are also welcomed and just yesterday we received Lebanese from the Bekaa Valley with gunshot wounds. They come here because our care is of high quality and it's free and without political complications. We specialize also in Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) which attracts patients from across Syria and abroad. I think I speak for almost every Syrian medical person what I insist that we are doctors and care givers with a variety of political views which we leave at home. We comply with our Hippocratic Oath which we take seriously."
Syria's hospital staff, some shown above at Al Mouwasat public hospital said they would welcome anyone who wants to discuss what they claim are fabrications in the AI "investigation" Report and to visit with patients and medical staff in order to make their own judgments.
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