QAMISHLI, Syria — Shortages of medicine, equipment, and treatment centres have made life hard for cancer patients in northeast Syria.
Muslim Derwish was displaced from Gire Spi (Tel Abyad) during Turkey’s invasion of northeastern Syria, also known as Rojava, in October 2019. He was forced to flee his town and now lives in the Assyrian neighbourhood in Qamishli.
His nine-year-old son Muhammad has cancer. However, Derwish is unable to buy chemotherapy treatment because of high prices.
“The chemotherapy medicine we give him cost too much for us. Each dose costs 40,000 to 50,000 Syrian pounds ($17.3-$21.7),” Derwish told Rudaw on Saturday.
“We give him 10-15 doses per month,” he added.
Muhammad's mother says her son has gone under three surgeries so far. She is saddened by her son's hair loss as a result of his treatment.
“My son is alone. I am in a lot of pain,” said Esma Hassen.
Humanitarian organisations provided medicine to more than 600 people at a breast cancer screening centre in Qamishli last month.
However, the aid has come to a stop with essential medicines having to pass through Syrian regime-controlled Damascus.
Dr Danis Ibrahim is haematologist-oncologist at the centre. He says they are only able to provide chemotherapy to patients, who have to buy other drugs themselves.
“Every 15 to 20 days it costs 60,000-70,000 SYP ($26 to $30) for the patients to buy medicine. We just provide them with chemotherapy. They have to buy the rest outside because our health centre does not have other medicines.”
Reporting by Muhened Ibrahim
Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed