Razi Hospital in Aleppo, northern Syria, reopened its burns unit on Sunday, August 31, after rehabilitation and re-equipment with what hospital management described as “high-quality” technologies.
The reopening comes as Aleppo remains one of the provinces most in need of burn treatment services due to frequent domestic and industrial accidents. It also follows years of strain on the city’s health sector, marked by shortages of modern equipment and the migration of specialized staff.
The unit resumed operation after a suspension period, particularly following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s rule, to meet the growing demand for burn care, with upgraded medical equipment and specialized staff.
Modern facilities
Hussein al-Khatib, Deputy Health Minister, told Enab Baladi that the unit has been fitted with medical and emergency services, including examination rooms and areas designated for washing burn patients.
The department also includes medium and intensive care rooms.
Al-Khatib noted that cooperation with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) contributed to supplying the unit with modern technologies, enabling it to provide advanced care.
He considered the step part of the ministry’s plan to develop the health sector in Aleppo, pointing out that operational and financial details are not fully available to the ministry, since support came directly from the organization.
He also revealed plans to rehabilitate damaged hospitals and health centers in Aleppo, provide medicines and medical consumables, and improve hospital working environments in terms of cleanliness and patient services.
Asked by Enab Baladi whether the unit is the only one in the region and whether it can serve nearly 10 million people, as estimated by Aleppo Health Director Mohammed Wajih Jomaa, al-Khatib said the unit is currently capable of handling large patient numbers.
However, Jomaa confirmed that demand for burn treatment is immense, requiring the establishment of similar units in other hospitals, such as Aleppo University Hospital and Zahi Azraq Hospital.
According to Jomaa, such expansion aims to reduce pressure on the main unit, which will serve as the reference center for setting standards in handling burn injuries across the region.
Capacity and operations
Abdel Qader Farah, Director of Razi Hospital, told Enab Baladi that the unit has a capacity of 12 beds, covering emergency, intensive care, and children’s sections, in addition to an operating room specialized in burn surgeries.
He said the hospital receives large numbers of burn cases daily from Aleppo and other northern and eastern regions, ranging in severity.
Shortage of specialized staff
Alaa al-Din Allo, head of the burns department, explained to Enab Baladi how the unit operates.
He said emergency services run 24/7 to assess cases and classify them based on severity, with patients distributed according to age, gender, and injury level. Separate rooms are allocated for children, women, and men, alongside resuscitation and intensive care units.
The unit also includes two operating rooms for reconstructive surgeries and skin grafting, with infection-control measures such as air filtration systems to speed recovery.
However, Allo stressed the continued need for more nursing, technical, and specialist staff to meet rising demands, noting that the unit currently operates with about 30 resident doctors.
Broader hospital development
On August 3, the Health Ministry announced a tripartite agreement with the Syrian-German Medical Association (SIGMA) and the Pioneers for Cooperation and Development Foundation.
The agreement includes rehabilitating Razi Hospital’s operating and intensive care units, providing Ibn Rushd Hospital with cardiac catheterization supplies, upgrading infrastructure in medical departments, and equipping them with new devices.
It also covers training programs for doctors and nurses in public hospitals.
In mid-August, Razi Hospital launched an online appointment system for its clinics, aimed at reducing overcrowding and patient waiting times, especially during high summer temperatures.
Hospital director Farah said the system allows citizens to book appointments electronically, while still accommodating walk-ins, with a technical team monitoring the site to prevent misuse.
Available clinics include orthopedics, general surgery, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, maxillofacial surgery, thoracic surgery, and ENT (ear, nose, and throat).
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