In a new health tragedy in Iraq, the Al-Hussein Hospital for COVID-19 patients in the city of Nasiriyah, the administrative center of Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq, caught fire, leaving dozens dead and as many injured. This incident is a near-replica of the Ibn al-Khatib hospital tragedy that occurred at the end of April, which observers consider a clear sign that the Iraqi authorities have not learned from that disaster and have not taken corrective measures in the health sector.
A medical source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told "Sky News Arabic" that "this literal repetition within less than three months of hundreds of patients burning in two private hospitals for COVID-19 is a definite indication of the Iraqi government’s failure, which always claims to be new and not responsible for the backwardness of the country's health sector. While this is partially true, it does not justify their inaction amid such calamities. The government should have taken urgent and decisive measures at least to prevent further such tragedies; it is a massacre for dozens of innocent patients to die helplessly due to negligence, corruption, and the absence of health standards in Iraqi hospitals."
The source adds, "Where's the new action plan, and why has the scene been repeated exactly? This means that things remain the same, if not worse, considering that a fire broke out in the Iraqi Ministry of Health's building itself yesterday (Monday). The Iraqi health system has completely collapsed, and a country with a failing health sector is, in short, a failed and dangerous country. The government should resign in light of the horror and atrocity of what happened; if such a disaster occurred in any other country, its government would have promptly resigned."
Citizen Mishaal Hussein narrates the suffering of Iraqis with the deterioration of the health sector, stating, "Unfortunately, this will not be the last catastrophe. Iraqi hospitals are more places of death and suffering than places for treatment and healing. The wretched condition is a subject of mockery even among Iraqis, encapsulated in the adage 'the evil of calamities is what makes one laugh.' There are countless stories of negligence and incidents caused by corruption, laxity, and a lack of oversight and accountability in Iraqi hospitals and health centers that we share among ourselves."
Hussein points out, "How many patients have died not due to complications from diseases but because of unhealthy medical working environments and errors and misconduct by healthcare staff? Entering hospitals in Iraq has become more fearful due to their corrupt conditions and neglect, along with their failure to adhere to even the most basic standards of global safety and health, more than fearing the illness itself."
The death toll from the fire at Imam Hussein Hospital is still expected to rise, as the Dhi Qar Health Directorate reported on Tuesday that the toll has reached 83 dead and more than 50 injured, with more individuals missing under the rubble. Additionally, there are over 20 charred bodies whose identities cannot be identified, according to the Dhi Qar Health Department. Following the incident, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi announced the dismissal of the Dhi Qar Health Director, the directors of Al-Hussein Hospital, and the Civil Defense in the province, subjecting them to an investigation.
