Hospital and school repairs completed in Tikrit

A grand ceremony marked the opening of the al-Aola primary school and the Salah Din rehabilitation hospital in the city of Tikrit last week, the home of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, 160 km northwest of the capital, Baghdad. The two Commander's Emergency Relief Programme (CERP) projects were completed by the 1st Battalion 18th Infantry of the US army, a project developed by the US reconstruction agency in Iraq for emergency programmes, at the request of local leaders who saw it as an opportunity to kickstart development in the city. As security improves slightly, other developments in the city are visible as US forces and the Ministry of Reconstruction start work. Clean streets, good electricity and water supplies are some of the improvements that can be seen in the city. US troops were distributing chocolate and chewing gum to children around them and people were happy hearing Arabic music while some of the youngsters danced at the ceremony. A smile of happiness could be seen on the faces of the US soldiers as they played with the children. "It's amazing that the people of Tikrit have accepted the US troops in such way, God bless them all," Bashar Omary, a spokesman for the local Health department told IRIN while attending the event. The hospital is the only centre in Iraq specialised in physical rehabilitation and physiotherapy. The hospital, which has special surgical units for dealing with severe injuries, will service people from a wide area. It will be a crucial centre for dealing with those who have suffered in the current and in past conflicts, officials said. "It will help thousands of Iraqis in the country who cannot travel outside for therapy and who depend on free treatment. I'm very thankful for what they have been doing in our city," Dr Muhammad al-Zeituny, a therapist at the hospital told IRIN. According to US officials from the 1st Infantry Battalion, the project cost more than US $250,000 and includes repairing the heating and air conditioning systems and the domestic hot water system. In addition to the improvements, a fully equipped clinic has been constructed to accommodate therapy treatments. Abbas Luttify, spokesman for the Tikrit governorate told IRIN that this project is just one of many that have been started in the city. He added that two other schools, a police station and the main hospital of Tikrit would also be fully repaired by the beginning of next year. Al-Aola school, which also benefitted from a $25,000 grant repair, now serves more than 350 students. It has been given new wiring and plumbing and has been freshly decorated and furnished. "I feel like I'm in another world. I am very happy that my students can now have their lessons in comfort and are protected from the heat and the cold. I hope that all schools in the city get the same rehabilitation that we have," Hanan al-Sami, a maths teacher, told IRIN. The city is one of few in Iraq where improvements can be seen on the streets and where people have accepted help from the US forces in reconstruction - a situation which surprises many Iraqis as the town was considered as strongly pro-Saddam and was one of the most difficult to stabilise following the recent conflict to oust the former Iraqi leader.