German Development Minister Svenja Schulze was in Damascus on Wednesday to meet with de facto Health Minister Maher Sharaa and discuss cooperation between Syrian and German hospitals.
"After more than 50 years of dictatorship and 14 years of civil war, Syria now has the chance for peaceful and stable development," Schulze said as she arrived.
The new program will see doctors from Germany travel to Syria to lead workshops and to train colleagues on new equipment. Some Syrian doctors will also travel to Germany.
During the civil war, the Syrian military under former President Bashar Assad repeatedly targeted hospitals in rebel-held areas, decimating Syria's healthcare system.
This prompted many of the country's surviving healthcare workers to flee abroad. Some 5,800 doctors and 2,000 nurses with Syrian nationality are living and working in Germany alone.
Despite the long and complicated road to having their credentials recognized in Germany, many Syrian doctors and nurses would prefer to stay in their adopted home. Schulze said on Wednesday that the government needs to come up with a plan for Syrians residing in Germany to be able to visit home without losing their refugee status.