The Ministry of Health, with funding from the Government of Japan and technical support from the World Health Organization (WHO), today inaugurated the rehabilitated Douma National Hospital, marking an important step towards restoring access to essential and specialized health services for people in Douma and surrounding areas.

When services are progressively brought online, the hospital will provide emergency, surgical, maternal, newborn, paediatric, laboratory and diagnostic care closer to communities and strengthen the public referral network across Rural Damascus.

Douma National Hospital previously served as the main referral hospital for eastern Ghouta and parts of Rural Damascus. The hospital, which had 175 beds and 10 operating rooms, ceased providing services in 2012 after sustaining significant damage during the conflict. Since then, communities have had limited access to emergency care locally and have often had to travel long distances to reach other facilities for specialized services.

Under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the Rural Damascus Health Directorate, WHO rehabilitated, redesigned and equipped the hospital with funding from the Government of Japan. The facility is designed to serve approximately 550,000 people in Douma.