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QRCS concludes medical convoy in Iraq [EN/AR]

Pays
Irak
+ 1
Sources
Qatar Red Crescent
Date de publication

December 26th, 2021 ― Doha: As part of its annual medical convoy program, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has concluded a medical convoy project for the benefit of internally displaced people (IDPs) and Syrian refugees in Erbil, Iraq.

It was implemented by QRCS’s representation office in Iraq, in cooperation with the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS), the Erbil Health Department, health centers at camps, humanitarian organizations operating there, the Barzani Charity Foundation, and the Rizgary Teaching Hospital.

With a total budget of QR 103,777, the project benefited 60 families as follows: 25 displaced Iraqi families, 25 Syrian refugee families, and 10 poor families from the host community.

The purpose of the project was to provide secondary health care services for Iraqi IDPs and Syrian refugees in Erbil, by performing surgeries in the specialties of general surgery and oncology and covering all treatment and transportation costs.

In coordination with IRCS and the Erbil Health Department, 60 beneficiaries were selected based on certain criteria, such as the patients referred from primary health care centers at camps, patients from families with no breadwinner, families supported by women, families with no source of livelihood, and families with more than five members.

Priority was given to under-five children, adults older than 60 years of age, patients with cancer or tumors, patients with physical or mental disabilities, patients with disabling injuries, and patients supporting their families.

The list of surgeries performed over the duration of the project included: inguinal herniorrhaphy, umbilical herniorrhaphy, incisional herniorrhaphy, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, thyroidectomy, colectomy, mastectomy, splenectomy, hemorrhoid and anal fissure, hydatid cysts, tonsillectomy, cryptorchidism, and obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN). Before the start of the project, a field visit was made to the host hospital in order to assess the quality of services, mechanisms of work, and disinfection and infection control protocols. The hospital examined the patients at the surgical clinic, conducted medical and diagnostic tests, ensured pre-operative care, and provided post-procedure care until the patients recovered and were released from hospital.

In Iraq, over 4 million people suffer difficult humanitarian conditions. The number of people in need of aid and health services is about 2.8 million, mostly in the northern and central governorates (Nineveh, Anbar, Erbil, Diyala, and Salah Al-Din).

Even though many camps have been closed and many IDPs and refugees returned to their home towns, there remain some 350,000 IDPs inside camps and 500,000 outside of camps in dire need for basic health services. Out of the 29 camps still open in Iraq, 25 are located in Iraqi Kurdistan, sheltering 180,000 Iraqi IDPs.

About Qatar Red Crescent (QRCS)

Established in 1978, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) is a humanitarian volunteering organization that aims to assist and empower vulnerable individuals and communities without partiality or discrimination.

QRCS is a member of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which consists of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and 191 National Societies. QRCS is also a member of several GCC, Arab, and Islamic organizations, such as the Islamic Committee of International Crescent and the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross Organization (ARCO). In this legally recognized capacity, QRCS has access to disaster and conflict zones, thus serving as an auxiliary to the State of Qatar in its humanitarian efforts — a role that distinguishes it from other local charities and NGOs.

QRCS operates both locally and internationally and has ongoing international relief and development projects in a number of countries throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Europe. QRCS's humanitarian actions include providing support in disaster preparedness, disaster response, risk reduction, and disaster recovery. To mitigate the impact of disasters and improve the livelihoods of affected populations, QRCS provides medical services, healthcare, and social development to local communities. It is also active at the humanitarian advocacy front. With the help of a vast network of trained, committed staff and volunteers, QRCS aspires to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity.

QRCS works under the umbrella of the seven international humanitarian principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.