“I found myself in a real predicament and was unable to secure the simplest necessities of daily life, such as transportation and food, after my salary was cut and I stopped practicing my profession since the fall of the regime. The hospital’s salary was already insufficient, but today I’ve lost it,” said Dr. Aous Mohammad to Enab Baladi, who previously worked for Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus.

The military hospitals that were affiliated with the Ministry of Defense during al-Assad’s era closed their doors after the regime fell on December 8, 2024.

The closure of military hospitals has caused many resident doctors to miss out on practicing their training in their residency and medical specialty, and their fate remains unknown even at this moment, three months after the fall of the regime.

Enab Baladi learned from one of the doctors that an online survey was published about two months ago in groups of resident doctors to discuss and know the latest medical news and decisions concerning them.

The doctors filled in their preferences for placement in the Ministry of Health hospitals in Syria, but nothing real has been issued regarding this matter so far, amid the poor economic conditions faced by Syrians, the dismissal of a large number of employees, reduced incomes, and the lack of basic necessities for life.

Historically, specialty positions under the Ministry of Defense during the Assad regime were sought through a preferential process announced by the medical services administration, with registration typically lasting for a month, extendable at the discretion of the administration.

Breaking free from the Ministry of Defense’s hospitals was very difficult and barely approved, but it was easier for females than for males.

Deferred dreams

The doctors who were once affiliated with the Ministry of Defense during the previous regime have lost their jobs and dreams. Some completed their years of specialization, while others were in hospitals in various specialties, amid conflicting opinions about their fate and the status of military hospitals.

Ali Ahmad, a former doctor at Tartus Military Hospital, told Enab Baladi that he and his colleagues have not received their salaries, and many of them were on the verge of completing their specializations and wish to practice their profession, stressing that doctors, especially residents, must continue and train themselves to handle various emergency cases and perform surgeries.

Dr. Riham Adnan, a former endocrine resident at Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus, emphasized that salary is a priority for resident doctors, and most of them do not have the ability to work without a salary.

According to the doctor, a large section of the resident doctors desires to return as “civil specialists,” hoping for expedited placement in the Ministry of Health hospitals.

Doctors looking for a source of income

Dr. Siham al-Hamwi, a former resident doctor in Internal Medicine at Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus, expressed to Enab Baladi that she does not know the real purpose of the survey they filled out for placement. According to her, this survey was merely about selecting provinces and not hospitals, lamenting that it would be illogical for her to abandon her beloved specialty if she were placed outside Damascus, indicating it would be unjust for her years of hard work to be in vain.

The doctor called for achieving safety and security for everyone and ensuring the safety of doctors who have been subjected to violations in recent times.

Similarly, Dr. Saleh Salman, a cardiology resident doctor, pointed out the dire living conditions most Syrians face, adding that today, doctors are compelled to work in any job to help their families as income sources dwindle due to many companies closing their doors or reducing their workforce.

He noted that it is unfortunate that a doctor in Syria receives a salary of 600,000 Syrian pounds (60 USD), stating sadly that the financial crisis is a barrier to his ability to travel as he is the sole breadwinner for his family.

Concerned authorities clarify

Enab Baladi contacted the media office of the Syrian Commission for Medical Specialities, represented by Engineer Elfat Barakat, who mentioned that they have communicated with the parties concerned about the placement of doctors previously associated with the Ministry of Defense.

She clarified that a decision was issued by the former Minister of Health in the transitional government, Dr. Maher al-Sharaa, to assign them to work in health directorates and affiliated hospitals through the issuance of administrative and ministerial orders, taking into account the doctors’ preferences based on capacity and after coordination with the relevant directorates, while continuing to receive their salaries from the entities they previously contracted with.

Barakat pointed out that discussions are currently ongoing regarding capacity with the directorates, and placements have not been finalized yet.

Syrian Commission for Medical Specialities

Enab Baladi also contacted the media office of the Ministry of Defense, which clarified that the placement of doctors in military hospitals is the responsibility of the Ministry of Health, highlighting that the administrative procedure remains unclear, but information concerning the topic is fully managed by the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Mohammad Akram al-Sharaa, founder and director of the Samma’t Hakeem platform, stated to Enab Baladi that matters are in resolution, according to his information.

According to what the doctor informed Enab Baladi, and based on the statement issued by the Ministry of Health and the Syrian Commission for Medical Specialities, and due to the stoppage of training processes in the training centers for these doctors, coordination will be made with the training authority in military medical services to provide the Syrian Commission for Medical Specialities with lists containing the names of doctors for placement according to their specialties in health directorates and affiliated hospitals based on their capacity.

The exodus of Syrian doctors

Germany is the primary destination for most Syrian doctors, as its universities are among the top international institutions for specialization studies or for practicing work in its hospitals, offering several advantages, such as obtaining German citizenship and high salaries.

The president of the Syrian Doctors and Pharmacists Association in Germany, Faisal Shahada, stated to Enab Baladi that, according to statistics from the Central Medical Association in Berlin, there are about six thousand Syrian doctors in Germany.

After consultations between the Syrian Doctors and Pharmacists Association in Germany and the Association last year, inquiring about the percentage of naturalized doctors from this number, the response from the Central Medical Association indicated that Syrian naturalized doctors are not included in that number, implying that the actual number is larger, possibly reaching up to ten thousand, according to Shahada.

Shahada believes that among the reasons for the immigration of doctors to Germany include the availability of high-level training in various specialties, in addition to the quality and robustness of the healthcare system, and significant advancements in scientific and technological development. Primarily, Germany is facing a severe shortage of doctors in recent years, with little indication of improvement in the coming years.