Iraq doctor tells of health crimes
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《英国医生杂志》
Delegates to the People's Health Movement assembly in Cuenca (18-23 July) also heard of alleged crimes against health in Iraq.
Iraqi physician Dr Salam Ismael claimed in a passionate testimony that "Crimes against health have been committed for two years in my country, and no one knows about them." Speaking on behalf of the organisation Doctors for Iraq, he described a number of alleged violations to human rights since occupation.
The organisation of 250 doctors was founded in 2003 to do research, give humanitarian relief, and promote the right to health. It has catalogued a number of human rights violations, including bombing hospitals, military raids on hospitals, killing patients who may be insurgents in their hospital beds and blocking ambulance transport of wounded combatants during the siege of Falluja.
Dr Ismael said there were times when physicians were harassed or arrested, sometimes in the middle of performing operations, because, Dr Ismael explained, "they are told they are treating insurgents. We tell them that under the Geneva Convention we treat all hurt or wounded people, including US soldiers and Iraqi security forces, but it makes little difference."
These alleged violations of health rights are occurring against the backdrop of an occupation that has dramatically worsened health conditions for most Iraqi citizens.
Staff demonstrate after US troops raided Ramadi Hospital in April
Credit: BILAL HUSSEIN/AP
According to Dr Judith Cook of the UK based organisation Medact, "Sixty three per cent of households lack proper sanitation, 46% lack access to drinking water, food availability is still sparse with many reliant upon a system of food basket distribution, and, despite a large increase in per capita health funding in 2004, the public system remains severely underfunded."
The downwards spiral of Iraq's public health system began with the 1991 Gulf war, the conference heard. "Sanctions helped to destroy one of the Middle East's best health systems and resulted in over a million deaths," Dr Ismael said. "Sanctions also led to a breakdown in health system organisation, creating an environment in which corruption began to thrive. This has become worse since occupation."
"There is one hospital that has no drugs," Dr Ismael recounted. "One employee was fired because he was corrupt. He was reinstated in the administration department after the occupation. Instead of using the limited budget to buy drugs, he spent 5m Iraqi dinar on new uniforms because he could get a kickback from the uniforms. This cancer of corruption is destroying my nation."
Doctors reportedly carry guns to prevent looting of the minimal supplies of drugs and other resources from hospitals. The main hospital in Baghdad is able to get only 15% of the water it needs for its patients.(Ronald Labonte)
Iraqi physician Dr Salam Ismael claimed in a passionate testimony that "Crimes against health have been committed for two years in my country, and no one knows about them." Speaking on behalf of the organisation Doctors for Iraq, he described a number of alleged violations to human rights since occupation.
The organisation of 250 doctors was founded in 2003 to do research, give humanitarian relief, and promote the right to health. It has catalogued a number of human rights violations, including bombing hospitals, military raids on hospitals, killing patients who may be insurgents in their hospital beds and blocking ambulance transport of wounded combatants during the siege of Falluja.
Dr Ismael said there were times when physicians were harassed or arrested, sometimes in the middle of performing operations, because, Dr Ismael explained, "they are told they are treating insurgents. We tell them that under the Geneva Convention we treat all hurt or wounded people, including US soldiers and Iraqi security forces, but it makes little difference."
These alleged violations of health rights are occurring against the backdrop of an occupation that has dramatically worsened health conditions for most Iraqi citizens.
Staff demonstrate after US troops raided Ramadi Hospital in April
Credit: BILAL HUSSEIN/AP
According to Dr Judith Cook of the UK based organisation Medact, "Sixty three per cent of households lack proper sanitation, 46% lack access to drinking water, food availability is still sparse with many reliant upon a system of food basket distribution, and, despite a large increase in per capita health funding in 2004, the public system remains severely underfunded."
The downwards spiral of Iraq's public health system began with the 1991 Gulf war, the conference heard. "Sanctions helped to destroy one of the Middle East's best health systems and resulted in over a million deaths," Dr Ismael said. "Sanctions also led to a breakdown in health system organisation, creating an environment in which corruption began to thrive. This has become worse since occupation."
"There is one hospital that has no drugs," Dr Ismael recounted. "One employee was fired because he was corrupt. He was reinstated in the administration department after the occupation. Instead of using the limited budget to buy drugs, he spent 5m Iraqi dinar on new uniforms because he could get a kickback from the uniforms. This cancer of corruption is destroying my nation."
Doctors reportedly carry guns to prevent looting of the minimal supplies of drugs and other resources from hospitals. The main hospital in Baghdad is able to get only 15% of the water it needs for its patients.(Ronald Labonte)