In his clinic in the city of Jaramana in the Damascus countryside, Dr. Ehsan Ezz El-Din treats between 100 to 150 people daily, providing more than 75% of his services to patients for free, earning him the title of “Doctor of the Poor.”
Ezz El-Din was born in 1943 in As-Suwayda Governorate, where he finished his secondary education, then joined the Faculty of Medicine at Damascus University and graduated in 1968, holding a Bachelor's degree in Human Medicine, specializing in “Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.”
He began practicing medicine in his second year of university because there was no doctor in his area and people sought his help at home for treatment. He filled the gap caused by the lack of a doctor in Sahnaya, where he lived, and also opened a room in his home to receive patients.
After graduating from university, Ezz El-Din settled in Jaramana and opened his own clinic, making it more of a sanctuary for the poor and needy than a clinic.
In an interview published on the website of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Ezz El-Din said: “I chose to care for the middle and poor class because I grew up in this environment and touched the conditions that these people live in closely, so I decided to do my best to provide a reasonably priced service so as not to financially burden them, while still being able to make a living.”
While performing his work, Ezz El-Din is very keen to preserve the dignity of the people he helps, as he is accustomed to charging extremely low symbolic fees (0.02 dollars), so that those receiving treatment feel they are paying for the service provided to them and that it is not charity. He also refuses to charge those who are unable to bear any financial burdens, who make up about 75% of the patients who visit his clinic daily.
He became famous as the “Father of the Poor” after he was able to cure incurable cases that many other doctors had failed to treat, in exchange for symbolic amounts aimed primarily at removing embarrassment for the poor patient.
Since the beginning of the crisis in Syria in 2011, thousands of people from various segments, including internally displaced persons, have visited Dr. Ezz El-Din's clinic, as he says: “In the current situation, displaced people need compassion and attention more than anyone else.”
In years past, before the outbreak of the Syrian crisis, Dr. Ezz El-Din provided his medical services to Iraqi and Lebanese refugees. He works day and night to ensure that the needy receive life-saving surgeries and medicines.
After finishing his work at the clinic, this renowned doctor makes periodic visits to his patients who are unable to come to the clinic to complete their treatment, and provides them with the necessary treatment and medicine. He says: “People get sick during the day and in the middle of the night, so a doctor must answer the patient's request when needed, and this is simply what I do.”
Dr. Ehsan Ezz El-Din has been honored by various civil and governmental bodies and has received several awards and certificates of appreciation, most notably:
The runner-up title for the “Nansen” Refugee Award, granted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in recognition of people who have dedicated themselves to serving those displaced by wars and conflicts, in 2017.
