First-rate inpatient and emergency care is now available to the local Erbil population of 900,000. (USACE Photos)

Healthcare delivery is not about bricks and mortar, but is about delivering quality services using modern techniques and equipment.(USACE Photos)

Mosul Iraq- First-rate inpatient and emergency care is now available to the local Erbil population of 900,000. The modernization of the Erbil Maternity and Pediatric hospital is now complete.

Lowering the infant mortality rate is the main priority for the Iraqi Ministry of Health over the next five years. To assist in this effort, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Region Northern District will completed the Erbil hospital and will manage the renovation of seven other existing pediatric and maternity hospitals in Northern Iraq. These health centers will provide both maternity and pediatric care as well as education facilities.

The two-story Erbil Maternity and Pediatric Hospital renovation began in December 2004 and was recently completed at a cost of $6,830,887. Major repairs and renovations were needed to meet the acceptable standards of functionality and cleanliness set by the International Health Code Standards.

Renovations included the installation of a reverse osmosis potable water treatment system as well as an incinerator to keep medical waste from entering into the solid waste and water systems. Repairs were made in many areas, including to mechanical, electrical, water, sewer and structural systems. Generators were also added to provide power to the hospital regardless of the local power supply.

The Erbil Maternity and Pediatric Hospital has 672 employees. This staff includes doctors, nurses, administrators and other staff members. A doctor’s residence attached to the hospital was also part of the rehabilitation and 39 apartments were modernized.

Because of the Gulf War in 1991 and the ensuing economic sanctions, Iraq’s social and economic growth came to a stand still. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Government of Iraq conducted parallel household surveys in the south/centre of Iraq and the three autonomous governorates in the north-Sulaymaniyah, Dohuk and Erbil. It was found that childhood death rates increased dramatically in the parts of Iraq where sanctions were the most strictly imposed.

Childhood mortality in the south/centre of Iraq rose significantly under the sanctions imposed since the Gulf War. Infant mortality has rose to 108 per 1000 live births; mortality in the under-fives to 131 per 1000. During the same period in the autonomous northern region, childhood mortality declined to 59 per 1000 live births (infants) and 72 per 1000 (under five). Mortality rates are higher among boys, children whose mothers lack education and those living in rural areas. Child mortality is greater in the south/centre of Iraq than in the autonomous northern region, despite a higher maternal literacy rate and education level.

Healthcare delivery is not about bricks and mortar, but is about delivering quality services using modern techniques and equipment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-Gulf Region North provides quality, responsive, full spectrum engineering services in support of military and civilian construction. The Erbil Maternity and Pediatric Hospital is a tangible result of American investment in Iraq.

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