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18 October 2002 By Sebastien Carliez in Baghdad Ali is barely a day old. Lying beside him, his mother is exhausted but smiling. Ali's father, Alawi, watches on proudly. This scene of happiness takes place in the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) maternity hospital of in Al-Mansour neighborhood, in central Baghdad. Ali is the picture of health, but his parents know his struggle for survival is just beginning. In a report issued this year, the United Nations' Children Fund (Unicef) revealed that the mortality rate of under-fives in Iraq is 131 per 1,000 live births. The reality behind this figure is frightening: one in eight children will die before reaching the age of five. This is two-and-a-half times higher than the mortality rate was a decade ago. Unicef also warns of a sharp increase in maternal mortality, noting that "women are not getting emergency obstetric care when they suffer complications during pregnancy and childbirth". These are just two indicators that reveal the difficult conditions the Iraqi population continues to undergo, 12 years after economic sanctions were imposed on the country. "If conditions here are not ideal, they are much better than health facilities elsewhere in the country," explains Dr.Rasmi Al-Rikabi, who has managed the Al-Mansour maternity hospital for the past four years. "Pregnant women come here from all over Baghdad because they know our services are cheap and, to a certain extent, fairly good," he adds. The Red Crescent maternity hospital has built its reputation on providing services for very low fees. A normal or natural delivery with one night spent in the hospital costs 23,500 Iraqi dinars (approx. US$11), "ten times less than a private clinic," according to Al-Rikabi. In addition, the most deprived families only pay one third of the regular fees. The rest is covered by the IRCS Social and Health Charity Fund, established in 1997 to help families in need. Up to 15 per cent of the mothers who choose the Al-Mansour maternity benefit from the fund. So far this year, 630 mothers have qualified for such help. Every day, around 35 babies like Ali are born in the hospital, thanks to the dedication of up to 90 resident staff, including four doctors, six midwives, eight anaesthetists and 22 nurses. The staff may be plentiful, but what has been sorely missed in recent years is training in all kinds of medical and paramedical areas. "Most of our staff are experienced but their knowledge and techniques need to be updated," Al-Rikabi admits. The quality of education in Iraq has deteriorated since the imposition of sanctions in 1991. Medical professionals have had limited access to the training opportunities abroad they used to enjoy. Al-Rikabi says health services countrywide are also constrained by a lack of proper medication and modern equipment. The IRCS maternity hospital has two ultrasound devices, both second-hand, provided by a foreign donor some years ago. "They are out-of-date and have undergone several repairs, but they still work fine, thank God," Al-Rikabi explains, with a weary smile. If the two-storey building looks correct from the outside, most of the 56 bedrooms are in need of refurbishment. The main entrance hall is currently being renovated and should be completed within two months. Al-Rikabi would like to see the operating theatre expanded. Established in 1973, the Al-Mansour maternity hospital was the first IRCS health facility in Iraq. Since then, two surgical hospitals have opened in Baghdad. The IRCS also runs an orthopaedic clinic in Mosul, in northern Iraq, and a specialised centre for treating diarrhoea and other water-born diseases in the southern city of Basrah. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is rehabilitating primary health care centres across the country. By the end of 2002, the number of centres being made operational again or provided with medical equipment across the country will reach 105, serving a population of some two million people. About 35 more are expected to be rehabilitated in the next two years. Over the past 12 years, the number of operational primary health care centres in Iraq has been reduced by half from 1,800 to 900. It is estimated that 500 of these are in need of rehabilitation. Related Links: Iraq: Appeal 2002-2003 Make an Online Donation Iraq: News Stories, Updates and Reports |
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