A Syrian Gynecologist's Experience During War & New Life in Canada Vanig Garabedian M.D OB/GYN

Objectives Aleppo Before & During War Healthcare During War Coming to Canada No potential conflict of interest

General View of Aleppo Google

Aleppo the Economic Capital 2nd largest city in Syria 5m. Inhabitants now 1 m Most ancient inhabited city UNESCO 12,300 years old city Famed Citadel & souks More than 35,000 factories & workshops Google

Aleppo Citadel Google

Aleppo Municipal Building

A City Divided Under Siege Civil War started 2011 City divided into east/west sections Imagine no water & electricity x 4y No security No rule of law Reign of fear Daily bombardment Google

Healthcare Destruction More than 500 hospitals in Syria 131 publicly funded 369 privately funded 1 physician/560 inhabitant 90 %medication/supplies locally produced Google

Healthcare Destruction 39% of Syria’s health facilities are totally or partially destroyed Shortage of human resources, nurses, midwives, Physicians, General stuff

Healthcare Destruction Shortage of medicines, more than 70 % of pharmaceutical production and factories are destroyed. Shortage of surgical materials. Google

Healthcare Destruction Shortage of blood transfusion materials at the most critical time. In addition of a general lack of essential Infrastructures such as electricity, drinking water. Google

Operation with Flash Light In the morning when health providers show up to work, we did not know if we will be back. Sometimes we had to continue operations using a flash lights of mobile phones.

Supplies from Damascus Insuring surgical materials, sutures, dressing were another challenging issue Damascus was one of sources at 15 times regular prices Google

Unsafe City Providing after hours gynecological and obstetrical emergency services So many nurses killed on their way to hospitals

Destroyed Newborn Nursery Working as a pediatrician and general surgeon Significant number of newborns died because of cold And damaged Incubators. Google

Emergency Room Nurses were real angels during the hardest Medical situations Shortage of their number With the capability of dealing with everything

Women’s Health Centre Working in the women’s Health centre without knowing if we would be back in the end of the day

Women’s Health Centre We had to do most procedures under worst situations.

Women’s Health Centre In may 2013 our women’s Health Centre was hit by 2 rockets.

Destruction of Women’s Clinic Those 2 rockets hit our health centre and almost destroyed a section of it. I left it 30 minutes before the explosion. nurses always return

Armenian Genocide Memorial Armenian Genocide made Armenians aware of the ravages of intolerance, extremism, xenophobia, and radicalization. War remains a devastating invention.

Flight to Freedom and safety My family on our way to the plane. Google

Military Flight to Pearson

Warm Welcome Home At very moment we landed, a new life began. The Pri Minister said welcome home, and we were at home.

Armenian Community Centre Transition to a new home and new country was facilitated by local Armenian Community Centre(my sponsors) and both provincial and federal social agencies.

Multicultural Democracy Canada taught me the true meaning of a multicultural democratic society Every Citizen Enjoys the same privileges and opportunities

New Country, Life, Culture Trilled to be part of this amazing country and wonderful people. Google

Palmira and Kids Syrians still enduring the ravages of war May there be Peace, Reconciliation and healing Google

Thank You CFPNA