Centres for burn victims to be established

The Iraqi Ministry of Health has announced the construction of new centres to treat burn victims in the main hospitals of the capital, Baghdad and some other governorates. The units are part of a new project by the Ministry of Health in response to the ongoing terrorist attacks in the country and will cost US $70 million and take nearly 18 months to be completed. “The new centres will be opened in all main hospitals in the country with exception of the Italian hospital, which is supported by the Italian Red Crescent Society and will offer specialised treatment for victims of insurgency attacks countrywide,” Adel Mouhsen, general inspector of the ministry, said. According to Mouhsen, the first step will be the inclusion of burn sections with 16 new beds for Yarmouk, al-Wassity and al-Kerh hospitals and another six for al-Kindy hospital. Similar units will also be open for Babylon and Kerbala governorate, but with fewer beds than those opened in the capital. Mouhsen explained that even with this new project, the country needs many more units to accommodate the total Iraq population and increased insecurity in the country. "We need about 7,000 beds to cover all the country’s needs and around 20,000 well trained staff from different specialisations to take care of these units, but since the budget of the ministry is low, the number of additional beds is considered a good increase,” Mouhsen noted. In addition to rising numbers of insurgent attacks, Iraqis usually observe a major increase in burn victims during the winter season due to the increased use of unsafe kerosene heaters. Hospitals have been suffering a shortage of medicine for burn victims as well as other kinds of drug supplies. After the US-led invasion in April 2003, most stocks of medicines in the country were looted but even before this, medicine for treating burns were rarely available due to the UN sanctions in Iraq implemented after Saddam invaded Kuwait in 1990. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported between June 2004 and June 2005, that even with 240 hospitals and more than 1,200 primary health care centres operating in Iraq, hospitals were still required to import large amounts of medicines and equipment. The Ministry of Health is also planning to build a new facility, which will include food safety and health monitoring centres and laboratories for inspection of food and water quality. Kareem Mohammed, engineering director at the ministry said this centre will be a pioneer in developing and controlling all kinds of tests needed in this field and will be the only official site responsible for food, water and medicine examinations and quality control. "This project is part of 2006/2007 plan and will be supported by the United Nation Office for Projects Services (UNOPS) which includes building, supplies and even training workshops," Mohammed said. "The buildings will cost about US $8 million and will be ready to operate at end of 2007," he concluded.