Syria Investment Authority Rejects Hospital Privatization, Proposes Partnerships

The Syrian Investment Authority on April 9 denied that recent comments amounted to selling public hospitals, stressing that “health is not for sale.” The authority said remarks by its head, Talal al‑Hilali, referred to studying modern management models and partnerships with the private sector to improve work mechanisms and services; it reiterated the state will remain the primary guarantor of treatment and that no Syrian would be denied healthcare for financial reasons. The clarification followed concern after al‑Hilali told CNN Business Arabic the state — which owns 71 public hospitals — is moving toward granting them to private partners as part of efforts to develop the health sector and boost efficiency.

Expert concerns and conditions

Economist Muhammed Ghareeb warned that expanding privatization without careful planning and oversight could produce the opposite of its intended results, opening the door to corruption, foreign interference and greater inequality in access to services. He said private-sector involvement can be beneficial only if accompanied by a robust legal framework, transparent investor selection and contracting, clear cost ceilings for patients, and genuine state capacity to manage and supervise partnerships — otherwise public trust and citizens’ access to care could be undermined, as reported by Enab Baladi

This story has also been reported by: The Syrian Observer