Qatari Ambassador and other officials during the meeting.
Doha, Qatar: As part of Qatar’s constant support for the struggling Syrian health system, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has concluded a successful medical convoy in Damascus, Syria, in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society (SARCS) and Syria’s Ministry of Health (MOH).
A volunteering specialised medical delegation was deployed to Syria, to perform free, life-saving cardiac catheterization procedures for patients with heart disease, helping reduce surgical waitlists and provide quality medical care for patients locally.
Overall, 74 cardiac catheterizations were performed (33 for adults and 41 for children) and 28 medical consultations were given (10 for adults and 18 for children). All the necessary medical supplies and consumables were procured by the mission.
The University Heart Surgery Hospital hosted the cardiac catheterizations for children with congenital heart defects, while the cardiac catheterizations for adult patients were performed at the National University Hospital.
Another component of the project was to deliver continuing medical education (CME) sessions and trainings for Syrian medical professionals, including resident doctors and medical students, as a form of post-mission qualification to perform cardiac catheterizations.
In a statement, Mazen Abdullah, head of QRCS’s representation office in Turkiye and Syria, said, “This medical convoy reflects QRCS’s commitment to backing the Syrian health sector with specialized, life-saving interventions, as well as transfer of expertise and capacity-building for local medics, thus ensuring the sustainability of such specialized medical services at Syrian hospitals.”
“We work closely with SARCS and the competent authorities on our various humanitarian operations in the country,” he added.
Abdullah valued the high-level recognition from H E Dr. Marwan Al-Halabi, Syria’s Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research,
H E Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud, Qatar’s Ambassador to Syria, and Dr. Hazem Baqleh, President of SARCS.
This project is part of QRCS’s year-round medical convoys programme, aimed at supporting the health systems in vulnerable countries.
During 2026, QRCS plans to deploy 22 medical convoys to nine countries (Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Niger, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan), for the benefit of 12,978 patients, at a total cost of QR15,585,900.
The Zakat and Sadaqah donations from charity payers are the main source of funding for QRCS’s medical convoys.
