Under ISIS rule, health care is limited
(The Christian Science Monitor) The self-described Islamic State has lured thousands of foreign fighters and their families to Syria with the promise of building a utopian caliphate. And Syrians living in IS-run cities such as Raqqa say it is providing basic governance in a country roiled by civil war.
But a ravaged health-care system and the behavior of militants drawn to the fight have raised concerns over a potential outbreak of HIV/AIDS in Raqqa, the group’s de facto capital, particularly in IS ranks. While only a handful of cases have been reported so far, IS has begun to bring in testing equipment from its Iraqi stronghold, Mosul. At the same time, male doctors are refusing medical care to women who seek treatment if no male guardian is present.
“AIDS represents a major fear for [the Islamic State] due to the lack of AIDS detection devices” in Raqqa, said Abu Osama Al-Raqqawi, a doctor using a pseudonym. “There are many reasons that can lead foreign fighters to contract AIDS. One of them is the blood transfer between fighters or people without any prior analysis for contagious diseases.”
