From pediatric cardiac operating rooms in Damascus to Deir Ezzor National Hospital (eastern Syria), the Union of Syrian Physicians and Pharmacists in France is expanding its missions across Syria through free surgery, medical campaigns, and training, seeking to treat patients while developing the skills of local healthcare staff.
Dr. Ismail Moutawee, the union’s vice president and general coordinator of its cardiac surgery mission, told Enab Baladi that the union launched its first campaign specializing in surgery for congenital heart defects in children at Damascus University Children’s Hospital on October 4. The campaign is scheduled to continue until October 10.
The campaign coincides with preparations to send between 12 and 13 medical missions to Deir Ezzor from October 15 to 22, alongside a medical conference and training workshops in several specialties.
Free Surgery
Moutawee said the Damascus mission includes an international team of French, Spanish, and Syrian medical professionals, comprising eight specialist physicians and nursing staff. It aims to perform 15 specialized operations on children under 16 who are on the waiting lists at Damascus University Children’s Hospital. Seven operations have been completed so far.
He said the operations are entirely free, with no financial burden on the children’s families. The union covers all costs, ranging from $800 to $900 per operation, including medicines and medical supplies. Any payments some families had previously made to the hospital are being refunded.
More Than 1,000 Children Waiting
Moutawee said equipment shortages at the Children’s Hospital forced the union to rent an echocardiography machine for the campaign. The union is also working to provide a dedicated machine for the cardiac surgery unit to increase its capacity to perform operations.
According to Moutawee, the unit can currently perform only three to four operations a week, while more than 1,000 children remain on its waiting lists.
He said the campaign at Damascus University Children’s Hospital was coordinated with Dr. Mohammad Younes, head of the hospital’s cardiac surgery department.
Preparations are also underway for a second mission in December, which will focus on training the hospital’s medical and nursing staff by treating more complex cases, including tetralogy of Fallot.
Moutawee outlined a three-year plan to rehabilitate and develop the unit, with the aim of making it one of the region’s leading pediatric cardiac surgery centers.
Medical Missions Across Several Specialties in Deir Ezzor
Alongside the Damascus campaign, the union is preparing an extensive medical campaign in Deir Ezzor governorate from October 15 to 22. It will include the Syrian-French Medical Conference and the Syrian-French Dentistry Forum, to be held on October 16 and 17 at the Badia al-Sham Hotel.
According to Moutawee, the campaign will also include clinical workshops on hand surgery and congenital deformities in children under 14, as well as a dental campaign for people with disabilities.
He said the conference would be followed by five days of surgery and practical training at Deir Ezzor National Hospital, with specialized medical missions taking part. These include a gastrointestinal surgery mission led by Dr. Mazen Malla Osman.
The program also includes training workshops in pulmonology, cardiology, oncology, and general anesthesia, as well as the provision of a container to support the hospital.
About the Union
The Union of Syrian Physicians and Pharmacists in France was established weeks after the fall of the regime, beginning with a founding committee of four physicians in early 2025. It aims to build cooperation and help train physicians, students, and nursing staff in Syria.
According to Moutawee, the union has so far provided Syrian hospitals with approximately €2.5 million in aid and equipment.
He also said preparations were underway for a specialist mission in March or April 2027 to train anesthesiologists in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia techniques.
Discussions are taking place with the French Foreign Ministry and relevant health authorities to explore possible grants and facilitate training placements for Syrian physicians and surgeons in France, where they could learn about modern medical techniques and technologies.