Health Integrated Resilience System
THE CHALLENGE
As the conflict intensified in North Syria, the health system along with other public services suffered immense damage and disruption. The lack of electricity, intense bombardment and targeting of health infrastructure, and volatility of fuel supplies, combined with the increasing shortage of qualified health professionals, have collectively put Syria’s healthcare system under severe strain. Most hospitals in the war zones of Syria now depend on diesel generators, an expensive and unreliable commodity in war. When diesel fuel supply lines are cut, generators cannot operate and this impedes healthcare professionals from performing essential procedures.
THE SOLUTION
To strengthen Syria’s overburdened healthcare system, Union Internationale des Organisations de Secours et Soins Médicaux (UIOSSM) developed the health-integrated resilience system (HIRS) to leverage technical solutions to three specific problems: 1) fuel for electricity at health facilities; 2) fuel dependency for mobility; and 3) shortage of qualified health professionals. This integrated approach aimed to bring together solar power, electric vehicles for ambulatory services and vaccine transportation, and telemedicine in a holistic and streamlined way. In cooperation with the Syria Immunization Group, 20,000 vaccines were distributed per month from cold-chain rooms to primary healthcare centers in northwest Syria by an electric vehicle, expanding COVID-19 and other immunization services to 1,673 pregnant women, 23,193 children under 1 year old, and 13,997 adults over age 18. As the electric vehicle relies exclusively on a lithium battery charged at health facilities powered by solar energy, its continued use has the potential to yield significant long-term cost savings. Through the HIRS Telemedicine Platform, online consultations were also facilitated between local service providers and medical experts at two major mental health hospitals (Sarmada in Idlib and Al-Bab in Aleppo), Al-Ekhaa Hospital Pediatrics Department, and Atmeh Charity Hospital Intensive Care Unit. This provided key opportunities for local health staff to consult with experts and receive virtual mentorship from specialists in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of complex cases.
