On Tuesday, the Libyan Ministry of Health announced that Ukrainian doctor, Natalia Petrenko is set to perform plastic surgeries for war-affected Libyans, and those who suffering from congenital ocular malformations.
In a statement, the ministry added that the doctor will perform more than 200 surgeries in Tripoli’s Eye Hospital, in coordination with the country’s Field Medicine and Support Center.
This marks the culmination of the efforts made by the Libyan Health Minister to provide appropriate treatment inside Libyan territory through the exchange of expertise between Libyan doctors and their European counterparts.
Notably, in August a national committee was formed to localise treatment services, headed by the Director of the Eye Hospital, Dr. Rania Abdullah Al-Khouja. The committee aims to localise treatment to Libyans inside the country through exchanging visits with global surgeons around the world.
Conflict and war have left Libya’s healthcare system on the verge of collapse, with an estimated 1.3 million people struggling to access the most basic of health services.
It is believed that more than a million people in Libya have acute health needs, and half of the health facilities that were operational in 2019 no long function due to the security situation and a lack of government funding.
38% of migrants and internally displaced Libyans have reported facing challenges accessing healthcare. While Libyans continue to face challenges accessing healthcare, the situation for the half a million migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers is even more challenging.
There is a severe shortage of life-saving medicine and supplies. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has expressed particular concern for vulnerable people with pre-existing conditions, internally displaced people, and migrants and refugees in detention centers and urban areas across Libya. These groups often live in overcrowded conditions with poor access to water and hygiene.