Syria's Health Ministry receives 15 ambulances from Iran

Text of report by H. Said/M. Ismael published in English by state- run Syrian news agency SANA website

Damascus - The Ministry of Health on Saturday [8 June] announced that it received 15 fully-equipped ambulances offered as a gift from the people of Iran to the Syrian people.

Health Minister Dr Sa'd al-Nayif said that the ambulances will be distributed immediately to six governorates in which the rescue system services sustained big losses compared to the rest of provinces.

The minister expressed the ministry's appreciation for Iran's intensified efforts to meet the health needs in Syria at a time when the EU and US slapped economic sanctions that hit all service sectors there, including health, which had negative impact on the lives of citizens and patients.

He added that the provision of new ambulances comes in parallel with the ministry's non-stop efforts to rehabilitate and reinforce the rescue system services in cooperation with international health and humanitarian organizations and friendly countries, especially Iran.

Al-Nayif said that the ministry earmarked up to SYP 1 billion last year to cater to the needs of the emergency departments at hospitals and bolster their strategic reserve, vowing that the ministry will continue to do so despite the repeated terrorist attacks against the rescue systems.

Representative of the Iranian embassy in Damascus Sayyed Reza Kazimi Mohamadi said Iran will continue to support the Syrian government and people, urging the countries "who claim to be friends of Syria to support the humanitarian situation and stop weapons' shipments to the terrorists there." The Health Ministry received last August a batch of advanced medical equipment and materials and ambulances from Iran worth USD 1.2 million.

Originally published by SANA news agency website, Damascus, in English 8 Jun 13.

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