Air War: Basra Hospitals Overwhelmed with Wounded

by Doctors for Iraq

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

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