27 November 2025, Rural Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic – On a quiet street in Douma, a large hospital complex is almost ready for the day it will welcome patients again. For now, its corridors are still, but inside, teams from the Ministry of Health, the Rural Damascus Health Directorate and the World Health Organization (WHO) are completing final checks on a hospital that once served as a lifeline for communities across eastern Ghouta.
A biomedical engineer reviews the installation of new diagnostic equipment at Douma National Hospital. Photo credit: WHO
Before it was damaged during years of fierce hostilities, Douma National Hospital was the main referral hospital for the area, receiving patients from across eastern Ghouta and parts of Rural Damascus. With 175 beds and 10 operating rooms, it offered a wide range of surgical and medical services. Since 2012, however, the hospital has been out of service, and people in the area have had to rely on a small emergency facility with a single operating room and just two inpatient beds.
Today, the rehabilitation and equipping of Douma National Hospital is nearing completion. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the Rural Damascus Health Directorate, and with support from WHO, the hospital has been structurally repaired and redesigned to restore safe services for around 550 000 people in Douma and an estimated 3 million people in surrounding areas. This work has been made possible thanks to support from the Government of Japan.
A hospital prepared for safer, more specialized care
The rehabilitated and newly equipped complex now consists of two main blocks and upgraded site infrastructure. Block A will function as a specialized women’s and children’s hospital, with around 30 beds. It includes two operating rooms (one general and one maternity), labour and post-operative recovery rooms, a fully equipped laboratory, an intensive care unit, a neonatal care unit and a paediatric ward. Imaging services will include mammography, X-ray and obstetric–gynecologic ultrasound.
Block B will host a general emergency department, designed to stabilize urgent cases closer to home. It will feature an emergency operating room, emergency intensive care beds, CT scanning, digital and mobile X-rays, ultrasound and a fully equipped emergency laboratory, alongside clinics and administrative rooms.
“We are now in the final stages of preparing the hospital to resume services,” says Dr Mwaz Anwar Sidoi, general and vascular surgeon and Director of Douma National Hospital. “Once it is staffed, the hospital will again be able to receive most emergency cases – from obstetrics and paediatrics to internal medicine and trauma – and reduce the need for patients to travel long distances for care.”
Built with safety, accessibility and future needs in mind
From the beginning, rehabilitation has focused on safety and quality. New layouts and systems have been designed to improve infection prevention and control, with dedicated sterilization areas, better patient flows, and safer working conditions for staff.
“Once Douma National Hospital resumes services, there will be clear procedures in place to control infection and protect both patients and health workers,” explains Dr Sidoi. “Plans include having a specialized sterilization team, training staff on personal protection and safe management of critical cases and ensuring regular vaccination and health checks for medical staff.”
Local engineers at the heart of recovery
The engineering team inside the newly rehabilitated inpatient ward, equipped and prepared for future patient services. Photo credit: WHO
For biomedical engineer Rima Ouda, who worked as an engineer on the project, rehabilitation is also about adapting the building to the needs of different groups of patients. “Douma has a large population, and people here have been waiting for a functioning hospital,” she says. “The new design follows international standards, with a strong focus on accessibility and patient comfort – especially for older people, children and people with disabilities.”
“In the final stages of the project, it was clear how closely the engineering teams from the Ministry of Health, the Rural Damascus Health Directorate and WHO were working together,” notes Dr Sidoi. “Regular joint visits, careful supervision and a shared commitment to quality helped ensure that the rehabilitation meets global benchmarks for hospital construction.”
A shared investment in the future of health services
For the Rural Damascus Health Directorate, the restoration of services Douma National Hospital is a critical step in restoring equitable access to care after years of disruption.
“Rehabilitating and equipping Douma National Hospital is an investment in the health of our communities for years to come,” says Dr Taufik Hasaba, Director of the Rural Damascus Health Directorate. “With support from the Government of Japan, under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and in collaboration with WHO, we now have a facility ready to host modern, safe services once staffing, equipment installation and operating budgets are in place. Our shared priority is to ensure that people in Douma and neighbouring areas can receive quality care closer to home.”
WHO technical teams have accompanied the project from design through to completion, ensuring that the hospital layout, infrastructure and equipment planning align with national priorities and international standards.
“Douma National Hospital shows what is possible when long-term partners focus on rebuilding quality, essential services, not only responding to emergencies,” says Dr Wail Ismail, WHO Public Health Officer. “With Japan’s support, this hospital has been structurally rehabilitated and equipped to host high-quality emergency, surgical, maternal, newborn and paediatric care in the future. The next step is to bring in health workers, commission equipment, and fully integrate the hospital into the wider referral network so that this investment translates into tangible services for patients.”
A hospital ready for the day it reopens
For many health workers in Douma, the hospital is more than a building: it is part of the city’s memory. Before it was damaged, surgical patients came from as far as Qarah and al-Dumayr to receive specialized care here.
“We hope that, once services begin, Douma National Hospital will gradually regain its role as a key surgical and emergency hospital for Rural Damascus,” says Dr Sidoi. “If the necessary support continues – to expand some departments, open new units and retain trained staff – the hospital can once again become one of the leading public hospitals in the governorate.”
For now, the wards, operating rooms and intensive care units stand ready, waiting for the day they will be filled with patients, families and health workers again. The rehabilitation of Douma National Hospital is a concrete step towards Syria’s recovery – a sign of how sustained support from partners, including Japan, is helping the countryt rebuild the foundations of its health system.
