![\"syrian.hospital\"](\"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/syrian.hospital.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nIn an Orwellian revision of events the BBC (21 December) reported the destruction of Al-Kindi with the headline: \u201cSyria rebels take back strategic hospital in Aleppo\u201d. The introduction claimed the \u201cmassive suicide lorry bomb\u201d had managed \u201cto seize back a strategic ruined hospital occupied by Assad loyalists.\u201d Al-Kindi was said to have been \u201ca disused building\u201d and \u201caccording to an unconfirmed report, 35 rebels died in the attack\u201d.<\/p>\n
The BBC double-speak needs a little translation. These \u201crebels\u201d were the mostly non-Syrian troops of the al Qaeda affiliated Jabhat al Nusra, funded and armed by Saudi Arabia and allowed free entry into northern Syria by the government of Turkey. The \u201cAssad loyalists\u201d were the staff of a large public hospital.<\/p>\n
Dr al Nayef told the Australian delegation that, since the crisis began in March 2011, 67 of the country\u2019s 94 national hospitals had been attacked and damaged, with 41 out of service. 174 health workers had been killed, 127 wounded and 33 kidnapped.<\/p>\n
In addition, 1921 primary health centres had been damaged, and 678 were out of service. 421 ambulances had been lost or were out of service, and 197 support vehicles had been damaged, with 169 out of service.<\/p>\n
The scale of destruction of health facilities, combined with attacks on schools, universities and massacres of civilians (often falsely blamed on the government), shows the NATO-backed armed groups have been intent on destroying a functioning state, and have no interest in trying to win public support.<\/p>\n
Attacks on public hospitals have been carried out by both the Muslim Brotherhood-linked FSA and the Saudi backed groups al Nusra, ISIS and the Islamic Front.<\/p>\n
Minister al Nayef showed the delegation video of the FSA (Farouk Brigade) attacking Homs National Hospital on 6 April 2012, another of the damage to Al- Salamiyeh National Hospital (Hama) after an attack on 21 January 2013 and a third video of the damage to Al Zahrway Hospital (Damascus) after yet another terrorist attack on 5 May 2013.<\/p>\n
The Health Minister also gave the delegation details of the 26 November 2013 terrorist attack on Deir-Ateya Hospital in Rural Damascus, where 11 medical staff (2 Anesthesiologists, 3 Resident doctors, 4 Nurses and 2 Drivers) were stabbed to death.<\/p>\n
Health services have been free in Syria and the Health Ministry says that \u201cdespite all the pressures and the economic siege\u201d the ministry continues to provide free medical and health services, with \u201cnearly 4.5 million citizens\u201d visiting public hospitals in the last year and \u201cmore than 30 million\u201d free consultations, treatments and other health services.<\/p>\n