JINHA

KOBANÊ - Medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders has started building a hospital in Kobanê, where just two hospitals (one civilian and one military) serve the medical needs of the population.

Officials in the city, whose population has reached 50,000 with recent returns, said there is a lack of ambulances and medicine. They said that the opening of a humanitarian corridor would solve the urgent health problems in the town across the currently-restricted border with Turkey.

YPG/YPJ fighters wounded in the ongoing fight in Kobanê Canton are treated in a military hospital with 12 beds on the basement floor of a building. The hospital serving the cities tens of thousandsof civilians has only 15 beds. The hospitals are severely understaffed. There are a total of 10 doctors and 25 nurses in the city, working night and day.

The hospitals also lack equipment for first response for emergency patients. The few ambulances currently available are generally being used to transfer the fighters wounded in clashes to the military hospital. While many patients seek treatment in Turkey, it is technically very difficult to refer patients across the border.

Doctors Without Borders has started work to provide a 13-bed hospital for the town.DWB are currently repairing a building damaged in the battle, previously used as a school. They plan to bring in the needed medical equipment and devices once the repair works are completed. Three doctors are ready to start at the hospital; hospital spokespeople say they plan to hire four more.

Kobanê Health Assembly Spokesperson Dr. HikmedEhmed said they would work to meet the urgent medical need in the town with the planned hospital. Ehmed remarked that they would continue providing free health service to the people with the help of DWB's medical aid.

(nt/cm)