The Syrian Future Movement follows with grave concern the documented reports published by the newspaper “Zaman Al-Wasl” on October 22 and 26, 2026, regarding the presence of expired medicines and anesthetic drugs at the Al-Kasra General Hospital—a government facility serving tens of thousands of residents in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
Video footage revealed items that had expired years ago. Meanwhile, the hospital administration and the Health Directorate have responded with security measures against several medical staff members, detaining one employee for documenting these materials and filing a formal complaint accusing him of “undermining the prestige of the state” and “communicating with hostile entities.”
The Syrian Future Movement maintains that the safety of medicines and medical supplies in government facilities is a fundamental pillar of the right to health, as enshrined in international charters and the Syrian Constitutional Declaration.
The Movement further notes that Legislative Decree No. 12 of 1970, which regulates the practice of medical and health professions, explicitly prohibits the acquisition, sale, or use of spoiled or expired medications. It places direct responsibility on health administrations to ensure the safety of pharmaceutical stocks. Furthermore, the Syrian Penal Code mandates penalties for actions that endanger the lives and safety of citizens.
The Syrian Future Movement asserts that the presence of expired anesthetic agents in the operating rooms of a government hospital constitutes a serious violation—one that cannot be justified by a lack of resources or the circumstances of a transitional period. Numerous international experiences—including reports from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—confirm that the use of expired anesthetic drugs can lead to a loss of efficacy or cause serious adverse reactions. This underscores the urgent necessity for consistent pharmaceutical oversight and regular audits of medical storage facilities.
The Syrian Future Movement asserts that the handling of medical personnel who documented these violations must be conducted within a framework of law and transparency, avoiding any actions that could be perceived as a deterrent against reporting such breaches.
Protecting those who report health-related violations is a well-established principle of international best practice; it fosters trust between citizens and healthcare institutions, rather than undermining it.
Therefore, the Syrian Future Movement calls for the following:
- The initiation of an independent, transparent, and technical-administrative investigation into the origin of these medications and how they entered the hospital’s storage facilities, with the findings made public.
- An immediate and comprehensive inspection of all pharmaceutical stock at Al-Kasra Hospital and other healthcare facilities within the governorate, followed by the destruction of any expired items in accordance with established legal procedures.
- The safeguarding of the legal rights of the medical staff involved—including the right to a defense and the presence of legal counsel—while ensuring that no vague or unrelated charges are brought against them.
- The strengthening of independent, periodic pharmaceutical oversight mechanisms within the Ministry of Health, linked to a clear accountability framework for those responsible for managing medical storage facilities.
The Syrian Future Movement believes that building a reliable healthcare system begins with respecting the most fundamental standards of pharmaceutical safety and prioritizing patient lives above all other considerations. The Syrian Future Movement affirms its readiness to support any serious institutional effort in this direction, based on its conviction that the rule of law and professional accountability are the foundation for restoring citizens’ trust in their state institutions.
