The issue of anesthesia in Syria is a recurring and ongoing problem. A significant leakage occurs in this sector, with an almost weekly shortage of anesthesiologists. The financial increases or monthly incentives approved for the anesthesia staff have been modest and tied to a complex payment mechanism and numerous conditions. Additionally, incentives are occasionally frozen by cabinet decisions.

This was confirmed by Dr. Fawaz Hallal, the scientific officer of the Association of Anesthesiologists and Pain Management in Syria. He explained that anesthesiologists continue to be vulnerable to extortion by private hospital administrations, surgeons, and anesthesia providers who have shares in private hospitals. Insurance companies have also recently issued an extremely unfair decision, limiting the anesthesia fee to 20% of the surgeon's fee.

According to Hallal, the Ministry of Health's decision to set the anesthesia fee at 30% of the surgeon's fee has been disregarded. There should be mandatory implementation mechanisms for government decisions, which the anesthesia field lacks. This raises the question: do insurance companies have the right to exceed the ministry's tariff?

Hallal further stated that despite the suffering experienced by anesthesiologists and their legitimate demands, there is no will for a solution, nor is there seriousness in addressing the issue. Solutions are easy and feasible, such as increasing the salaries of anesthesiologists in private hospitals, as it is the crucial knot of the problem. When doctors receive their financial rights, they will have a significant incentive to reconsider the idea of migration and traveling abroad to secure a decent life. This only requires a binding government decision to be implemented under penalties that affect violators in private hospitals.

According to Hallal, another important issue that must be addressed is the large number of unemployed anesthesiologists in private hospitals, despite the urgent need for them. Greed among contributors to the anesthesia share in hospitals, who control anesthesia in all hospitals, leads to the replacement of anesthesiologists with anesthesia technicians. This poses a threat to the safety of patients and can cause major problems and incidents resulting in the loss of patients' lives.

It is evident from the above that the Syrian Society of Anesthesiology and Pain Management has repeatedly sounded the alarm about the dire shortage of Syrian anesthesiologists and its catastrophic repercussions on the healthcare sector and surgical operations, particularly in the country.