Syria working to restore health system

Health ministry chairs meeting Damascus - Arab Today Syrian Health Minister Dr Saad al-Nayef said that the ministry is working within its capacity to "restore and rehabilitate" hospitals and health centres damaged in the conflict in order to put them into service again. During a meeting with the Syrian Pharmacists Syndicate council and branch heads on Wednesday, al-Nayef said that the ministry is not capable at this time to fully rebuild damaged health facilities, start new projects, or finish any project that is below 70 percent complete. He pointed out that despite the fact that 20 pharmaceutical factories have ceased production, local factories are providing around 90 percent of the local market's needs, and that the ministry is working with international organisations and friendly countries to provide the types of medicine not found in markets or not manufactured locally. Al-Nayef noted that the recent agreement signed with Iran for mutual registration of medicine will facilitate the procurement of medicine, adding that the Health Ministry of Belarus is expected to visit Syria soon to sign a similar agreement. He explained that the Health Ministry signed contracts with friendly countries to purchase 75 ambulances seeing as over 400 ambulances have been damaged by "terrorists" putting 200 of them out of commission, adding that contracts have been signed to purchase 200 kidney dialysis machines. The health minister asserted that there are no epidemics in Syria, and that most cases of communicable diseases are within natural limits.