Haider left Iraq in 1991 due to the policies of Saddam Hussein. He lived in a refugee camp in Saudia Arabia for many years before being brought to the United States. Last spring he went home to Basra for the first time since he had left. It was not only emotional to see family that he hadn't seen in 16 years, he couldn't believe the conditions in his city. Due to the fact that there is no infrustructure; the streets are full of garbage and sewage.
Haider visited his nephew who is a doctor in the local hospital. He was told that in the hospitals they are sharing syringes, they have no gauze, blood bags, urine bags, and basics like antibiotics.
One of the greatest needs that the Doctors are asking for is cancer medicines and a machine called an Amicus Blood seperator. At first we were surprised by these needs and upon further research we found that the incidence of cancer among children under the age of 15 in Basra has risen by 242% and Leukemia has gone up 100% since 1991. Iraqi Health Now is determined to help meet those needs.
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What will Iraqi Health Now do to help? Iraqi Health Now will communicate with the hospitals in Iraq about their most urgent needs and purchase, at a very low cost, as many of those supplies as possible from International Aid of Spring Lake Michigan, an organization committed to improving global health care by making quality health services available to the world’s poor. The supplies will then be mailed directly to the hospitals. Iraqi Health Now is currently editing some footage taken of the doctors and patients in the hospitals and the conditions on the streets in Basra. We hope to have a dvd available soon for you to view. The photos on this page were taken from the video made by Haider's brother at the Basra Children and Maternity Hospital. Please excuse the poor quality.
100% of all donations to this project will go directly for the purchasing of the supplies and for the shipment. There are no overhead costs.
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An Iraqi boy in the Children's Hospital in Basra
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Dr. Ginan Ghalib Hassen , a pediatrician at the Basra Children and Maternity Hospital.
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A young Iraqi girl in the oncology ward.
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An Iraqi boy and his mother in the oncology ward
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Iraqi mother with her son in the oncology ward.
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