Major hospital in Al-Nasiriyah to close for renovations

Shafaq News/ The healthcare system in Dhi Qar province, southern Iraq, faces mounting challenges as authorities prepare to shut down a major public hospital for renovations while a long-delayed facility remains unfinished, an official source said on Wednesday.

The closure of Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital, expected in the coming days, is part of a renovation project costing nearly 15 billion Iraqi dinars ($10 million). Efforts are underway to keep the hospital’s emergency department operational, but the contractor has rejected the proposal, citing plans to cut off water supplies across the facility, the source added.

Additionally, a Qatari firm contracted to manage the Turkish Hospital in Al-Nasiriyah has failed to complete maintenance work, including restoring the central cooling system.

Dhi Qar’s Deputy Provincial Council Chairman Murtada Al-Saeedi criticized in a statement the management of the Turkish Hospital, accusing the Qatari firm of failing to meet its contractual obligations despite an annual operational budget of 60 billion dinars ($40 million).

"The company refused to hand over a key wing of the hospital to the burn unit, forcing patients to be transferred to another facility in neighboring Al-Muthanna province," Al-Saeedi stated.

He also blamed Iraq’s Health Ministry for “the administrative chaos and severe negligence that endanger citizens' lives,” adding that “the lives of Dhi Qar residents have been placed at the mercy of unprecedented administrative corruption at the hospital.”

The deputy chairman urged authorities to impose stricter measures on the company and ensure that the Turkish Hospital meets its intended role as a model healthcare facility for the people of Dhi Qar.