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2021-04-26 Iraq
Ibn Khatib hospital Director arrested, the Supreme Judicial Council announces
[SHAFAQ] The Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq announced arresting the director of Ibn Khatib Hospital and a number of hospital employees.

A statement by the Supreme Judicial Council said that al-Rusafa Investigation Court took legal measures following the Ibn Khatib incident, in which dozens were killed.

The court, as by the statement, decided to detain the hospital director until the investigation is completed.

Earlier today, The Cabinet decided to grant an amount of ten million dinars to the families of each victim of the tragedy of Ibn al-Khatib Hospital.

During an extraordinary session held by PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi, the council assigned, according to a statement by his office, "the legal department in the General Secretariat of the Council to prepare a draft law regarding the victims of the tragedy (deaders), and refer it to the council of Representatives."

The Iraqi Prime Minister also suspended three bigwigs, including the Minister of Health and Environment Hasan al-Tamimi, in the aftermath of the Ibn Khatib incident in which at least 82 and 110 were maimed.

Al-Kadhimi appointed the Minister of Interior, Othman al-Ghanmi, to lead the investigation, with the Ministers of Planning and Justice on board, along with the Chief of the Commission of Integrity, head of the Federal Diwan of Financial oversight, and a representative of the Parliament as a spectator member.

Iraqis Blame Hospital Fire on Mismanagement and Corruption
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] The death of over 80 people in a Baghdad Covid-19 hospital fire was seen by Iraqis Sunday as more proof of the deadly consequences of mismanagement and corruption.

Iraqis, some of whom evacuated the injured themselves, blamed Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi, who was suspended Sunday, with calls for him to be sacked resounding across social media.

The deadly inferno broke out overnight Sunday at Baghdad's Ibn al-Khatib hospital, blamed on poorly stored oxygen cylinders.

The interior ministry said 82 people were killed and 110 people injured, AFP reported.

An official with the Iraqi Human Rights Commission said 28 of those killed were patients who were taken off critical ventilators to escape the flames.

The evacuation was slow, painful and chaotic, with patients and their relatives crammed into stairwells as they scrambled for exits.

President Barham Saleh tweeted on Sunday "the tragedy at Ibn al-Khatib is the result of years of erosion of state institutions by corruption and mismanagement".

A doctor at the hospital said that "in the whole Covid intensive care unit, there were no emergency exits or fire prevention systems".

Witnesses and doctors told AFP many bodies had yet to be identified, the remains too charred by the intense flames.

These issues were raised in a 2017 public report on the Iraqi health sector, exhumed overnight in the wake of the fire by the country's human rights
When they're defined by the state or an NGO they don't mean much...
commission.

"It's mismanagement that killed these people," the doctor added, who, on condition of anonymity, angrily listed the hospital's many shortcomings.

"Managers walk around smoking in the hospital where oxygen cylinders are stored," he said. "Even in intensive care, there are always two or three friends or relatives at a patient's bedside."

And, he added, "this doesn't just happen at Ibn al-Khatib, it's like this in all the public hospitals".

"When equipment breaks down, our director tells us not to report it," said a nurse, in another hospital in Baghdad.

"He says it would give a bad image of his establishment, but in reality, we have nothing that works."

These institutions -- which until the 1980s were the pride of Iraq, known across the Arab world for its free, high quality public health services -- are now seen as an embarrassment by many.

Their equipment is outdated, staff are poorly trained and buildings crumbling.

In Iraq, the health sector only accounts for two percent of the budget, despite the country being one of the most oil-rich in the world.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Iraq only has 13 hospital beds and eight doctors for every 10,000 people. Forty years ago, there were 19 beds per person.

Al-Sadr hints at a possible ''act of sabotage'' in the Ibn Khatib hospital
[SHAFAQ] The leader of the Sadrist movement, Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival al-Khoei assassinated shortly after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
, warned on Sunday of an "electoral war," hinting at a possible "act of sabotage" in the Ibn Khatib hospital incident.

The Iraqi Prime Minister also suspended three bigwigs, including the Minister of Health and Environment Hasan al-Tamimi, in the aftermath of the Ibn Khatib incident in which at least 82 and 110 were maimed.

Al-Sadr said in his tweet, "I fear that this painful incident will be part of a series of incidents that serve some saboteurs to target the security of Iraq, especially as the elections approach amid their deteriorating popularity and chances of winning due to their non-national actions."

"Everyone should not involve the people and the innocent in a war they have nothing to do with ... The competition for elections is for their sake, their security, and even their dignity", he added.

He continued, "He (the Minister of Health) was negligent, so the Prime Minister should dismiss him, as he was the one who chose him among other independent ministries."
Posted by Fred 2021-04-26 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ]  Top
 File under: Govt of Iraq 

15:53 Abu Uluque
15:53 Frank G
15:52 M. Murcek
15:38 M. Murcek
15:34 swksvolFF
15:31 Abu Uluque
15:31 Abu Uluque
15:26 Abu Uluque
15:25 Abu Uluque
15:18 Rex Mundi
15:15 Bobby
15:13 Grom the Reflective
15:12 Grom the Reflective
15:12 Procopius2k
15:08 DarthVader
15:04 Grom the Reflective
14:56 swksvolFF
14:54 M. Murcek
14:43 ed in texas
14:42 DooDahMan
14:41 swksvolFF
14:41 ed in texas
14:39 Grom the Reflective
14:38 ed in texas









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