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Libya Hospitals Face Collapse as International Staff Evacuates

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Libya may face a “total collapse” of its health care system as international staff is evacuated from the country amid continued fighting between government forces and Islamists, Agence France-Presse reported Friday.

MOSCOW, August 1 (RIA Novosti) - Libya may face a “total collapse” of its health care system as international staff is evacuated from the country amid continued fighting between government forces and Islamists, Agence France-Presse reported Friday.

“Hospitals could be paralyzed” in the event of a mass-departure of Philippine nationals, health ministry spokesman Ammar Mohamed said as quoted by AFP.

According to AFP, over 60 percent of Libya’s hospital staff are from the Philippines, another 20 percent come from India. During the past three weeks of violent clashes between Islamists and Army Special Forces in the eastern city of Benghazi, several countries have closed their embassies in Libya and started evacuations of their nationals for security reasons.

The Philippines first urged its citizens to leave Libya on July 20, after a Filipino was found beheaded. A couple of days later, a Filipino nurse was kidnapped and raped. Now, another warning has been issued. Manila said Thursday that it may send charter ferries to evacuate its nationals, AFP stated.

Meanwhile, many people in Libya require urgent medical assistance. According to the Libyan Health Ministry, over 170 people have been killed in Tripoli and Benghazi since July 17. More than 700 have been wounded.

A healthcare official told AFP that the Health Ministry was trying to persuade international employees to stay.

In an effort to stabilize the situation, Libyan Health Minister Nureddin Doghman has instructed Tripoli’s missions in Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Turkey, Italy, Greece and Germany to organize transport and care for Libyans needing treatment.

However, the closure of Libya’s airports in Tripoli and Benghazi amid ongoing fighting has made medical transfers more difficult.

“My brother spent several days in hospital after suffering a stroke. His health deteriorated day after day and the doctors told us he should be treated in Tunisia, but we could find no way to transfer him there,” Ahmed Drughi, a Tripoli resident told AFP.

The escalation of violence in Libya began in 2011 following the overthrow of country’s long-standing leader Muammar Gaddafi. A large number of armed groups continue operating in the country, taking over entire districts. The militants possess a large arsenal of weapons, including heavy equipment that was seized from government forces during the 2011 uprising.

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