Medics beg for help as Iraqis die needlessly

[savemefromdumbya]

Half of all deaths preventable, say country's medics
Reconstruction seen as disaster
More than 2,000 doctors and nurses are killed
18,000 more leave the nation
Even the most basic treatments are lacking
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
Published: 20 October 2006
The disintegration of Iraq's health service is leaving its civilians defenceless in the continuing violence that is rocking the country, Iraqi doctors warn today.

As many as half of the civilian deaths, calculated at 655,000 since the 2003 invasion, might have been avoided if proper medical care had been provided to the victims, they say.

In separate appeals, the doctors beg for help to stem the soaring death rate and ease the suffering of injured families and children. They say governments and the international medical community are ignoring their plight.

In the first 14 months after the 2003 invasion almost $20bn (£11bn) was spent on reconstruction by the British and American funds, including hundreds of millions on rebuilding and re-equipping the country's network of 180 hospitals and clinics.

But billions went missing because of a combination of criminal activity, corruption, and incompetence, leaving Iraqis without even the essentials for basic medical care.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article1904962.ece

[Lautremont]

1. The criminality of it piles up.

[MnFats]

7. "In a manner that must shame God himself."

Vonnegut used that first but it seems appropriate here.

[truthisfreedom]

2. all of this death and destruction lies directly at the feet of the neocons

and gw bush. all of this unbelievable misery and horror, all the blood... it's all their fault.

[judaspriestess]

3. like one idiot told me last week: this is a "necessary evil"

but when asked for deeper explanation had no fucking clue what he was talking about. How sad that so many people don't know what is really going on.

[savemefromdumbya]

4. the little children in Iraq

how can he justify letting children suffer?

[flyarm]

5. well tell that asshole,,before * started his illegal war over 50% of

the citizens of iraq were under the age of 15..so ask him what evil children committed to deserve this!!

fly

[burrowowl]

6. K&R

[Kiouni]

8. Bush told me, "jesus will save them."

no matter how much help they get it won't be enough as in medicine we can't just treat the symptoms we have to solve the problem.

[alittlelark]

9. But, the CORPUSA is making a lot of money.

Stop your whining BAM, Bloosh, BALAMMY (cool one)... we'll use your tax dollars as we see fit. Your life means NOTHING.

[savemefromdumbya]

25. Tyranny?

[Judi Lynn]

10. May all the kindness our right-wing has done for the people of this world

be returned to them as soon as possible, and may it happen during our lifetimes.

[Kiouni]

12. oh no...I live where they live

shit!

[wellst0nev0ter]

11. It May Be The Fact That The Cure Is Worse Than The DIsease

Death Squads control Iraq hospitals

[cassiepriam]

13. What kind of people are we, that all of this is OK? nt

[Barrett808]

14. Lack Of Equipment And Skilled Doctors Costing Civilian Lives In Iraq

Doctors working in Iraq admit that more than half of the civilians killed could have been saved if better medical equipment and more experienced staff and were available.

Writing in this week's British Medical Journal, Bassim Al Sheibani and colleagues say that as the violence escalates, the reality is that they cannot treat many of the victims.

Official figures from Iraqi authorities and UN agencies suggest that more than 14,338 Iraqi civilians were killed between January and June 2006. And reports indicate that the killing of civilians is rising, with more than 5,800 deaths and over 57,000 people injured during May and June 2006.

But emergency medicine in Iraq has never developed to meet such unprecedented demand, they say. As a result, emergency departments are staffed by doctors who do not have the proper experience or skills to manage emergency cases, and this lack of expertise is aggravated by the lack of medical equipment, supplies, and drugs.

(more)

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/10/061019192504.htm

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. BushCo is blowing a billion plus bucks a week

and they can't even figure out how to turn on the electric.

I wonder how many adults and children have died needless deaths because of lack of medical care, yet Terry Schiavo's life warranted emergency legislation?

[savemefromdumbya]

27. 655,000 Terry Schiavos

[rodeodance]

16. the iraqi gov has lost thrus corruption Billions. I am sad to see the peo

ole surfering because of them.

[leftyladyfrommo]

17. Have you seen pictures of those hospital? They were completely

looted right after the war. They have nothing. And they are filthy.

And I read one report where hit squads were going into the hospitals to kill people.

Iraq was really a lot better off under sadaam in a lot of ways. At least people had medical care.

[Barrett808]

18. Not only that, Mahdi Army have set up headquarters in hospitals

And they routinely "purge" Sunni patients...

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. Nice place to visit but no one wants to live there any more.

I saw where almost a million people are displaced.

They should all send Bush a thankyou card.

[AnneD]

20. I think they ...

have purged some medical staff too.

[maxsolomon]

21. i encourage all republican doctors to volunteer in iraq

especially those who voted for bush just to see their taxes go down. they know who they are.

and Dr. Frist should be first in line.

[leftyladyfrommo]

22. Does Frist even practice medicine any more? They probably wouldn't

even want him.

[maxsolomon]

23. you know what i mean

he should see what he hath wrought.

[sarcasmo]

24. Let us add up the WAR CRIMES bush.

[savemefromdumbya]

26. think bush has more war crim than milosevic