The Aleppo Health Directorate announced on Thursday, July 23, that al-Shifa Specialist Hospital, formerly known as al-Taaluf, had been temporarily closed under a decision issued by the Ministry of Health.
The directorate said in a statement that the decision followed the discovery of several violations and medical errors during monitoring and inspection work conducted by the relevant authorities.
It added that the hospital would remain closed until all violations were addressed and the required procedures were completed, ensuring compliance with approved health standards and requirements.
The Aleppo Health Directorate said the decision was intended to protect patient safety and ensure the quality of the medical services provided.
The hospital’s closure comes weeks after a patient died inside the facility.
The incident prompted widespread public reaction in Aleppo and raised questions about the standard of medical services and the procedures followed inside the hospital.
In its latest statement, the Aleppo Health Directorate did not clarify whether the violations and medical errors cited in the temporary closure decision were directly connected to the patient’s death.
The directorate only stated that violations had been documented during monitoring and inspection work conducted by the relevant authorities.
The decision to close the hospital coincided with a social media post by the brother of Judy Sankari, who died at al-Shifa Hospital in May.
He said the closure followed demands made by the family and thanked those who had “stood with and supported them,” according to a post on his personal account.
Patient’s Death
Sankari’s death sparked widespread controversy in Aleppo and raised questions about possible medical negligence after she underwent two consecutive surgical procedures.
The day after the incident, the Aleppo Health Directorate announced that it was responding to the case.
The directorate said at the time that a joint five-member medical expert committee had been formed, including representatives from the forensic medicine department and the Aleppo Doctors Syndicate, to investigate the circumstances of the death and examine the medical procedures followed during the surgery.
The director of the Aleppo Health Directorate said in a statement carried by the governorate’s Media Directorate that the committee began its work immediately after it was formed. The investigation’s findings would be referred to the relevant judicial authorities so that the necessary legal measures could be taken.
He also said the relevant authorities had suspended the medical team involved in the incident until the investigation was completed.
Husband’s Account
The patient’s family held the plastic surgeon and anesthesiologist responsible for her death, accusing the medical team of committing errors during the surgical procedure.
Her husband, Tawfiq Qattash, said his wife had consulted the doctor to undergo cosmetic surgery. He explained that she completed the required tests and was told that the results were good and that the operation was “easy,” before a date was set for the procedure.
He added that his wife entered the hospital at the scheduled time without meeting the doctor before the operation.
The nursing staff prepared her and took her into the operating room. Qattash said he was told that the procedure would take approximately four and a half hours.
According to his account, the doctor emerged about six hours later and told him that the operation had been successful and that his wife was in good condition, although she remained under the effects of anesthesia. He was then taken to another room, where he saw his wife unconscious.
Qattash said subsequent attempts to wake his wife were unsuccessful, before she began experiencing convulsions.
He said the doctor then transferred her to the intensive care unit, where she was given oxygen.
According to the husband’s account, the doctor later told him that severe bleeding had occurred during the operation, requiring the anesthesiologist to intervene. She also told him that his wife’s heart had stopped for a period before she was resuscitated.
He added that his wife was later placed under general anesthesia, questioning why it had not been used from the beginning, particularly because the operation involved more than one surgical procedure.
Qattash accused the doctor, the anesthesiologist, and the medical assistant of being responsible for his wife’s death and called for those responsible to be held accountable.
He said the hospital administration had not disclosed the names of all the doctors who participated in the operation.
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