Erbil, 26 September 2019: The World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the Ministry of Health in Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) today celebrated the opening of the Pediatric intensive care and Neonatal Gastroenterology and the Semi-Intensive Care Unit in Raparin Pediatric Hospital in Erbil, KR-I.
The two pediatric intensive and semi-intensive care units were supported by WHO to provide specialized quality care services for the infants and in-need for medical treatment children from the Syrian Refugees, internally displaced population (IDPs), and hosting community.
The two units are well furnished with a set of advanced medical equipment like Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy to manage between 20 to 30 cases of gastrointestinal disease per month.
“The rehabilitation and equipping of the two pediatric and infants intensive care units in Raparin Pediatric Hospital is only one result of the good collaboration and coordination between WHO and the Ministry of Health in Kurdistan Region of Iraq,” said Dr. Adham R Ismail Abdel Moniem, Acting WHO Representative in Iraq.
“We believe that such contribution will save infants’ lives and lift some of the pressure put on the pediatric health facilities serving the IDPs, refugees, and local community in KRG governorates,” Dr. Abdel Moneim added.
WHO intervention in the rehabilitation and equipping of the facility included upgrading the bed capacity of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the mentioned hospital with additional four beds, four ventilator, six monitoring devices, and a planned package of training courses to build the capacity of pediatric doctors in the area of neonatal intensive care services.
The Neonatal Semi- Intensive Care Unit, on the other hand, has a full daily bed capacity of 35 patients. The Unit is newly furnished with additional 10 medical monitoring devices, 10 infant incubators, six infant phototherapy, three Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, and three spiral phototherapy machines.
WHO support also included equipping the hospital with other devices like ultrasonic nebulizers and syringe pump, among many other items.
The outpatient, emergency and surgical units in Raparin Pediatric Hospital receive a daily average of 1000 to 1500 children including 150 -170 admission per day. Approximately, 40 % of the hospital visitors are Syrian refugees and IDPs children.
WHO support to this pediatric health facility was made possible through the generous contribution from the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM).
For more information, please contact:
- Ajyal Sultany, WHO Communications Officer, (+964) 7740 892 878, sultanya@who.int
- Pauline Ajello, WHO Communications Officer, (+964) 7729 877 288, ajellopa@who.in
- Holly Wilkerson, Program Officer – Iraq, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration
email: WilkersonHD@state.gov