PHA-Exch> Iraqi hospitals overwhelmed by number of casualties

[Bert De Belder]

Doctors for Iraq: Hospitals overwhelmed by number of casualties
following intense fighting between the Mehdi army militia and the Iraqi
army.

03/04/2008

Doctors for Iraq / Baghdad

Five days of intense fighting between the Mehdi army militia and the
Iraqi military has left hospitals in Iraq overwhelmed with the number of
casualties. Doctors for Iraq's network of doctors across the country
report that hospitals are lacking many medical supplies such as IV
fluid, antibiotics and specialist doctors to treat the injured.

Doctors in Basra estimate that 800 people have been injured and 200
killed during the fighting. Basra is Iraq's third biggest city and has
an estimated population of 1.7 million people.  Much of the fierce
fighting in the city took place in densely populated civilian areas.
Many of those who were injured are reported to be women and children.
Doctors in Baghdad say they received 350 casualties and 120 bodies.
Doctors at the Zahraa hospital in Kut, South East Iraq, report the
number of injured at 120 and 30 bodies were brought to the hospital
morgue.

Coalition airplanes bombed areas densely populated with civilians in
Basra and Baghdad's Sadar City. Doctors for Iraq has received reports of
high numbers of civilian casualties especially among women and
children. 

The fierce fighting took place over a five day period from March 25-
30th 2008.  A curfew was declared across Baghdad and Basra. Ambulances
were grounded as fuel supplies ran out impacting on hospital generators
as did the reduced level of electricity.  Hospitals reported a shortage
of blood donors and blood bags. Patients have complained to Doctors for
Iraq about the standard of medical care they received in hospitals in
Baghdad and about the shortage of medicines.

There was no clear emergency preparedness plan in place to respond to
events despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country following
the war on Iraq, now in its sixth year.  The situation in the affected
cities across the country remains very tense and is far from resolved. 

There have been reports that the Iraqi army and coalition forces denied
access to humanitarian convoys to enter the worse affected areas.
Similar reports have emerged from the Iraqi Red Crescent. Doctors for
Iraq is sending a medical team to carry out a needs assessment in the
affected areas. 

Doctors for Iraq is calling on all armed actors to ensure that civilians
are not harmed and fighting is away from civilian areas. All armed
actors must grant unconditional access to humanitarian and medical
convoys.

Doctors for Iraq calls on the Ministry of Health to ensure that
hospitals are provided with adequate supplies of medication. The current
security situation remains fragile and the Ministry of Health should put
a plan in place to ensure that hospitals receive more support to assist
the injured in the ongoing violence across the country.

For more information please contact us on both e mails
 press.officer at doctorsforiraq.org or info at doctorsforiraq.org 


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