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HUMANITARIANISM Ashland doctor travels to Syria to aid refugees Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 2:00 AM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News Just back from his sixth time volunteering medical help with Syrian refugees, Dr. John Sager of Ashland says things have gotten much worse and there’s a lot more people streaming out of the war-torn region. Sager worked in Jordan, at the Syria border, setting up “pop-up” clinics each day in various villages and encampments, treating hundreds of refugees a day, mostly women and children, for mid-level ailments such as upper respiratory infections, heart ailments, high blood pressure, diabetes, malnutrition, gastro-intestinal issues, skin problems, "failure to thrive," with much stress, anxiety, depression, bedwetting and nightmares. “We see people who have no access to routine medical care,” says Sager. “The clinics are very good with handling it all and never turn anyone away. They are kind of like the uninsured of our valley. They could go to the ER but for routine medical care, they have no access to it.” Sager, a family physician, works as the clinic’s pediatrician. The native Ashlander works with other doctors, all Syrian-Americans volunteering with Atlantic Humanitarian Relief. The doctors sleep at night in Amman. They use Jordanian medical students to help and translate for them. More than 4 million refugees have streamed into Turkey and Europe and “they have no resources,” he says. They are stretched as thin as they can be. People are starting to see there is no end to this conflict … and they know they are not going back to Syria. They are just having to take their chances.” A lot of the refugees, he adds, seem to be young men headed to hoped-for work in Europe, expecting to send money home to families. The wealthy among them can afford to have smugglers get them there, he says. The huge stresses of being bombed and fleeing their homeland affects health and they are much relieved to get some medical care, he says. “We don’t have a chance to hear their stories. We’re so busy treating people, we can’t delve into their stressors. Almost everyone has a horrific story and some have lost family members, been in prison and been tortured by (Syrian President) Assad. It’s a rare individual who didn’t have this happen. A lot lived in small villages for generations. To pick up and go to Jordan and be displaced is an incredible stress. A lot have small children. All this emotional turmoil drives stress, depression, anxiety and it comes out as headaches, chest pain, not sleeping." Sager arrived for his eight-day service as the Russian air campaign began in Syria. “This is only going to stress the problem. A lot of the violence is because of ISIS but the majority is the government’s indiscriminate bombing of cities and jailing people. It’s a culture of violence. They fear for their lives,” he says. “They don’t feel the government is protecting them but rather is out to kill them. Almost everyone (in the clinic) is a refugee fleeing that." Sager say he is often asked if it’s risky business to volunteer there. He acknowledges it’s a dangerous situation and “every time I say 'yes,' I feel it’s a reasonable risk. I’ve got family, so sometimes I think ‘don’t be stupid about this,’ but once you’ve been over there and treated people in desperate need, it’s hard to turn your back on it. I’m probably going back.” Sager calls the work part medical relief and part ambassador. “People ask me why I’m there and I think of everyone in my life who influenced me to do it. I grew up in Ashland and we have a strong ethic of helping out. There’s a strong pull to do it,” he notes. “That’s what I fall back on. “It’s an overwhelming flood of humanity knocking on the door, millions of them. If you’re treating several hundred, what good can that do? But if you treat one person at a time, that’s all you can do, just stick your finger in the dike. You have to take the small picture approach. I’m a big fan of Mother Teresa who would go out on the street and say ‘I can help this one person.’ That’s all you can do, day by day. You get rewarded by that and people’s sense of kindness in giving back to you.” John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Nov. 12, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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