The signing of a contract to upgrade and rehabilitate 14 government hospitals across Syria has raised questions about the future of healthcare services during the implementation period and whether treatment at these facilities will remain free.
Wasel al-Jarak, director of the Health Facilities Directorate at the Ministry of Health, told Enab Baladi that the hospitals included in the project would not close during rehabilitation. He said work would be carried out gradually within each hospital, with departments renovated one after another, particularly those involving infrastructure.
Services Will Remain Free
Al-Jarak said services provided to patients at government hospitals would not be affected by the development work and would remain free. He added that the project is government-funded and is not an investment project.
He explained that the contract includes rehabilitating hospital infrastructure according to modern standards, from interior finishing work to broader infrastructure development. It also includes redesigning hospital waiting areas to facilitate patient movement and entry and exit procedures.
Al-Jarak said the hospitals would be supplied with modern medical equipment suited to the services provided by each facility, with the aim of improving the quality of healthcare available to patients.
Contract Signed
Khalil Balbi, director of Sarh Holding, which is affiliated with the Syrian Sovereign Fund, signed the contract on August 2 with Dr. Emad El Dukair, a representative of InterHealth Canada. Coordinated with the Ministry of Health, the project will upgrade and rehabilitate 14 hospitals in different Syrian governorates to improve their infrastructure and medical equipment.
Syrian Health Minister Musaab al-Ali said in a press statement that the contract was signed as part of the ministry’s vision and strategic plan to develop the healthcare sector. He said the project provides for the rehabilitation of 14 major hospitals across the governorates and their supply with the necessary medical devices and equipment.
Al-Ali added that the project is titled “A Model Hospital in Every Governorate” and will take 24 months to implement.
Training and International Standards
Balbi said the project covers all stages of development, including construction and operations, beginning with planning and studies and continuing through implementation, procurement and operation. It will also involve transferring expertise and training the Syrian personnel participating in the project.
He explained that the contract was signed six months after the two sides concluded a memorandum of understanding. During that period, InterHealth Canada sent 16 engineers to the targeted hospitals across the governorates to conduct an initial technical assessment. Balbi described the contract as a move into the practical implementation stage.
Emad El Dukair, InterHealth Canada’s representative, said hospital rehabilitation would be carried out according to international standards, drawing on Syrian expertise from inside the country and abroad.
He added that distinguished Syrian medical professionals around the world were interested in contributing their expertise to the development of Syria’s healthcare sector.
Decree No. 113, issued on July 9, 2025, established the Syrian Sovereign Fund as an institution of an economic nature with legal personality and financial and administrative independence. The fund is headquartered in Damascus and is affiliated with the presidency.
What Is InterHealth Canada?
InterHealth Canada was established in 1994 and works in comprehensive medical service delivery, hospital planning and management, and the development of healthcare infrastructure according to international standards.
The company operates in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Poland and India.