Amidst war wounded, Syria’s cancer sufferers risk being forgotten
Syria’s numerous hospital patients are an almost forgotten casualty of the conflict. The World Health Organisation says it is hoping to get to some of them, in particular cancer patients in health facilities not already targeted in the war. WHO cites the experience of 12-year old Khedr from Aleppo Governorate, who was diagnosed with fibrosarcoma, a tumour in the connective fibrous tissue affecting bones and muscles, in January 2016. Because no treatment was available for him in Aleppo, Khedr travelled with his father to the Pediatric Hospital in Damascus, the main referral hospital for children in the country. However, access to Damascus to receive regular chemotherapy treatment was not always easy. Blocked roads and insecurity meant that Khedr was only able to receive treatment once every 3 months, instead of once every 3 weeks as recommended by doctors. Over the past few months, his health has significantly deteriorated, and he is in persistent pain as his tumour grows and presses on the nerves in his lower back. Lying on a bed in the stark hospital room, he winces in agony and the permanent frown lines on his forehead furrow even deeper. Oral analgesics are no longer enough to relieve his severe pain, and doctors are concerned that supplies of intravenous painkillers, such as morphine and tramadol, are no longer easily available. Khedr is one of 1300 children currently receiving treatment for cancer at the Pediatric Hospital in Damascus. The hospital receives 350–450 new cancer patients each year, with ages ranging from one month to 14 years. The majority are diagnosed with leukaemia, lymphoma and neuroblastoma. As a result of insecurity and limited access to treatment, by the time 50% of children arrive to the hospital for diagnosis, the disease is already at an advanced stage, leaving them with only 20% chance of survival, doctors at the hospital say. With only 52 beds in the cancer ward and an increasing number of children from around the country seeking treatment, some children can wait up to one month before they are admitted, diagnosed and receive treatment. “The situation is heartbreaking. Services for cancer patients in many parts of the country are limited and children, already victims of this war, are facing delays in their ability to access treatment,” said Elizabeth Hoff, WHO Representative in Syria. “Tragically, this means that many children...
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