Irbil Emergency Hospital ushers in new generation of emergency care in Iraq

By Mike Scheck, USACE Gulf Region DistrictJuly 7, 2010

Irbil Emergency Hospital
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. and Kurdish flags on the building of Irbil Emergency Hospital demonstrate the partnership between the U.S. and the Iraqi Government. The new hospital has nine operating rooms, a comprehensive medical laboratory facility and X-ray, CT scan and MR... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Irbil Emergency Hospital
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Iraqi and USACE senior officials take part in the June 23 ribbon cutting ceremony at Irbil Emergency Hospital. From left are, Commander of USACE Transatlantic Division Brig. Gen. Kendall Cox, Kurdistan region Minister of Health, U.S. Ambassador to Ir... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

IRBIL, Iraq - Dignitaries and special guests witnessed the beginning of a new era in emergency medical care in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq with the official opening of the Irbil Emergency Hospital.

Barham Salih, prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, says the hospital further demonstrates the lasting friendship and spirit of cooperation between the Kurdish people and the United States. "This project goes beyond the immediate issue of health care and the immediate issue of humanitarian assistance and goes to the heart of our relationship with the United States," Salih said. "In Kurdistan, we are not shy to say thank you to the people of United States for all of the sacrifices they have made for the people of Iraq and Kurdistan. I hope this project will serve as a fine example."

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers formed a partnership with a unique group of people during the design process of the $12.6 million facility: emergency room doctors. The USACE Irbil Resident Engineer design team received preconstruction input from the doctors to construct a state-of-the-art medical facility to care strictly for trauma patients.

According to Lt. Col. Rich Pratt, deputy commander of the USACE Gulf Region District, the partnerships between the Corps, hospital staff and the Ministry of Health in Irbil helped to ensure the Corps that the end product would meet the user's needs. Additionally, it helped build trust with the ministry from the inception phase all the way through to the handover of the project.

The new emergency hospital is the primary access point for caring for emergency patients in the area. The only other existing facility's dilapidated state has caused major disruptions in service and represents a threat to public health, according to local health officials.

The new hospital has nine operating rooms, a comprehensive medical laboratory facility and X-ray, CT scan and MRI capabilities. The hospital's burn unit has the capacity to care for most of the over 45 burn patients the current Irbil hospital emergency rooms treat each month.

Although common for hospitals in the United States, the Irbil hospital is the first in the area to have a helicopter pad on the roof of the new facility. The hospital is also equipped with its own electrical generating unit and the water for the hospital will be supplied by an on-site well.

The emergency hospital building encompasses 11,790 square meters and is located on a 24,000 meter site that allows for future expansion. The general contractor is the Turkish owned Tigris Company.

Funding for the hospital is from U.S. Economic Support Funds and includes the purchase of all medical equipment for the facility. This marks the first hospital project for USACE in Irbil.

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For high resolution photos: www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/releases/index.asp

Note: Mike Scheck is a public affairs specialist with the Gulf Region District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Iraq. For more information, contact GRD public affairs at 540-678-2963 or email requests to cegrd.pao@usace.armyl.mil For more information on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq, visit www.grd.usace.army.mil <http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/> .