Like all other aspects of life, the health sector in Benghazi has suffered greatly from the civil clashes that erupted in May 2014.

The killing of a medical worker in November by stray bullets in front of Hawari General Hospital (HGH), south of Benghazi, was for its administration more than enough to close the hospital, in addition to other reasons related to a lack of supplies and funds.

Like all other aspects of life, the health sector in Benghazi has suffered greatly from the civil clashes that erupted in May 2014.

The killing of a medical worker in November by stray bullets in front of Hawari General Hospital (HGH), south of Benghazi, was for its administration more than enough to close the hospital, in addition to other reasons related to a lack of supplies and funds.

Shortly thereafter, on the same day, the Benghazi Medical Center (BMC) was hit by a missile on the top floor, causing a fire that nearly suffocated more than 25 people before they were rescued at the last minute.

Closed hospitals

War has reduced the number of the city’s functioning hospitals to only four, namely the BMC which provides internal medicine, surgery of all kinds, gynecology and obstetrics services; Benghazi Children’s Hospital; Jalaa Hospital for Surgery and Accidents (JHSA); and the Psychiatric Hospital (PH)—the staff and patients of which have been distributed to two schools and a clinic complex.

The other six hospitals have been closed, most recently the Benghazi Kidney Centre that was closed by its administration last February. All have been closed because they’re either located in areas where clashes take place or they were hit by missiles. Their staffs have moved to the BMC – the largest hospital in the city – or to clinic complexes (primary healthcare centers).

Working in dangerous conditions

HGH Information Officer Hani Oraibi says the HGH was closed following the killing of one of its Medical Tests Department workers and the kidnapping of a doctor and three orderlies late last year – who were released later – in addition to the damaging of the sewage system and electricity network because of shells.

Moreover, a number of doctors and orderlies have been killed by stray bullets on their way to work or while ministering others. Some doctors and assistants have been subjected to enforced disappearance, while others have been threatened. It has been also rumored that some doctors have refused to provide medical services to one party or have only provided them to a specific party.

Like many locals, a number of foreign and local medical workers have had to leave the city, which has affected the health sector, according to some officials, especially since the security situation prevented some families from sending female health workers to work and sometimes prevented workers from reaching health centers.

Despite the grim news, the BMC Information Office describes the security situation in the city’s hospitals as “good,” although it confirms the occurrence of “occasional” security breaches.

Many shortages

Benghazi hospitals suffer from not only security problems, but also a lack of anesthetics, certain medications and dialysis kits. BMC Information Officer Khalil Qwaider says pharmaceutical companies have covered some of the shortage, noting that some doctors in a surgery hospital located in combat areas have managed to bring drugs from stores, which has reduced the impact of the problem for the time being, without ending it entirely.

What made matters worse, says Qwaider, was the destruction of the Medical Supply Service headquarters during clashes last year, causing a big gap in the provision of essential drugs, in addition to the lack of imported materials, given the current conditions.

M. A., an anesthesiologist who works at the JHSA, the main surgery hospital in the city, warns of “a looming disaster” if the lack in some anesthetics persists.

“Materials are on the decrease while the number of surgery-requiring cases is on the rise due to the clashes,” said M. A., suggesting poor quality of the materials currently brought to the hospital. Running out of some important materials such as Propofol, says M. A., may cause the ICU to close.

Difficult and good

Most medical staff has remained working after the closure of their hospitals, and they now work in the BMC. However, the BMC Information Officer says the workers meet only 60% of the capacity needed to run the BMC due to the departure of foreigners occupying medical assistant professions, estimated at 50% of the total staff, describing the situation as “difficult.”

On the other hand, Ahmed Awami, the Information Officer of the Health Service Department (HSD) – concerned with the affairs of clinic complexes, primary healthcare, and immunizations – described the HSD situation as “good” in spite of the circumstances— noting that last month, they received vaccinations that would bridge the gap.

Psychiatric Hospital

The patients at Psychiatric Hospital (PH) have been hit the hardest. Pummeled by shells, PH was transferred from Hawari area in Benghazi to downtown and patients were transferred to a school. A clinic for detection, examination and prescriptions has been opened in one of the clinics. Every now and then, the administration demands that patients’ families take them out, especially the simple cases, due to the hospital’s inability to provide health services, as well as a lack of medicines

PH Executive Director Faraj Boukhris says some patients have been there for 30 years, and some have not been visited by their families since their admission. He claims that some families took their patients, but they brought them back to the hospital.