Aleppo hospital caught in the crossfire of the violence

World Today

They are among the most shocking scenes of war – hospitals, dedicated to the sick and wounded civilians and children, hit by hostile fire.

The most recent attack took place in Syria on May 3, when a hospital in the government-held area of Aleppo was hit by rockets, causing more than a dozen casualties.

CCTV’s Xu Dezhi visited the hospital to see how it’s coping now.

“I was in the reception area and we heard a big explosion. After that we couldn’t hear a thing for two days. After the blast, everything became dark and dusty and we couldn’t see anything. Then we were able to make out the fire and started rescuing the patients,” Lama, a midwife and hospital employee said.

Lama said the patients have been transferred to other hospitals. But workers here tell said they’re even more concerned about the damage to the equipment.

“(The delivery ward) was completely damaged and some equipment fell on the ground. Now we have collected them as you can see. There are many pieces of equipment damaged and the rest were taken out. We are still working (on cleaning),” hospital employee Muhammad Aldabit said.

All sides in Syria’s conflict have been accused of hitting hospital facilities, whether accidental or as a direct target. After this incident, most of the staff has vowed to stay on and stay dedicated to saving lives.

“We did not leave the hospital. After the incident, we still come to work. We are working now and we will continue working always. We are not going to leave the hospital because we have been working for a long time and we are the structure of this hospital, “Lama added.