IRAQ : Baghdadis say curfew prevents access to medical care

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Baghdadis say curfew prevents access to medical care

Report, IRIN

19 April 2006

BAGHDAD - Residents of the Iraqi capital are complaining that a recently-imposed government curfew, aimed at deterring ongoing violence, is hampering access to medical care.

"My son had stomach pains two days ago, but I couldn’t take him to the hospital because we’re prohibited from leaving our homes - even for medical emergencies," said Baghdad resident and father of four Abu Muhammad, 47.

With a curfew imposed from 11pm until 6am, no resident is allowed to venture outside between these times, while security forces have the right to shoot violators on sight. Anyone requiring medical assistance, therefore, must wait overnight to seek help.

The police say they have distributed telephone hotlines for people in need of urgent medical attention during the curfew period. According to those who have tried to call them, however, the phone numbers never work. "I tried to call them at midnight," said Sarmad Khalil, 43, a shopkeeper in the Mansour district of the capital who was recently unable to get medical assistance for his 65 year-old father. "For more than an hour, the phones just rang and rang."

Local doctors also complain about the negative impact of the curfew, which was reduced slightly two days ago. "You often have an overload of patients at 6 o’clock in the morning because all those requiring medical assistance must wait until the curfew ends," said Dr Ibraheem Younis of the Yarmouk Emergency Hospital. "Sometimes you find patients with very serious health conditions that could have been prevented had they been seen earlier."

In addition to problems caused by the curfew, Baghdadis have also had to endure frequent power shortages over the past four days. While officials from the Ministry of Electricity said the problem would soon be resolved, they did not reveal the reasons for the recurrent power outages.

A shortage of potable water in many areas of the capital has also caused hundreds of families to search frantically for clean water. "Day after day, our living conditions are getting worse," said Dina Abdel-Kader, resident of the capital’s Sadr district. "We have few hours of power, and water has become a luxury."

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