emergenza sanitaria a bagdad



fonte : Al Jazeera

Hospitals admit 100 cases every hour

As UN relief agencies warn of a health crisis facing Baghdad's five million
inhabitants, Al Jazeera correspondent Diyar Omari has reported seeing
"uncountable" cases of wounded people in the capital's main hospitals.

In a visit to the Al Yarmouk and Al Kindi hospitals, Omari says he
witnessed an "uncountable number of injured people whose number is
increasing every minute.

"Doctors in these hospitals confirm they are facing a great challenge" given
the effects of 12 years of sanctions on Baghdad's hospitals.

Omari reports that doctors have "confirmed (patients) are receiving strange
and unknown injuries, which appear to confirm that coalition forces are
using.new kind of bombs."

With fighting raging Monday afternoon in the area of Baghdad's landmark
al-Rashid hotel, Baghdad hospitals reported a continuous flow of wounded
victims on Sunday and warned that their meagre resources are being stretched
to the limit.

"We expect a severe deterioration of the health situation during the days to
come due to the daily bombardment that results in damage to infrastructure
and a sharp rise in civilian casualties," Fadela Chaib, the World Health
Organization (WHO) spokesperson told reporters.

WHO officials warned access to health care and drugs was becoming more
difficult as stocks cannot be replenished.

"It's certainly an emergency situation," said Antonella Notari, chief
spokesman of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).