Iraq receives Turkish medical aid to combat COVID-19

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – On Wednesday, a Turkish shipment of medical aid arrived in Baghdad to support Iraq's fight against the coronavirus disease, the Iraqi government said.

The package comes after the UAE, Kuwait, Azerbaijan, and other regional countries delivered similar assistance to Iraq in recent days, as the number of coronavirus cases continue to rise with daily infections of nearly 2,000.

"The Turkish plane carrying medical aid arrived at the Martyr Mohammed Alaa aArbase today," said Haydar Majeed, a spokesman for the Iraqi council of ministers.

"The shipment included artificial respirators and several personal and laboratory protection equipment, which the Ministry of Health will deliver to the health facilities in Baghdad and other provinces, according to need and priority," Majeed added.

Since late May, Iraq has been recording increasingly higher numbers of new coronavirus infections and deaths, even as authorities reintroduced partial curfews in efforts to curb the spread of the virus. Amid the crisis, health officials have repeatedly expressed fears of a collapse of the healthcare system.

Majeed also pointed out that "this assistance reflects the depth of bilateral relations between the governments and peoples of the two countries, affirming the positive attitudes of the people of Iraq towards the countries in the area," noting that “Iraq welcomes any positive initiatives that contribute to providing the necessary support to our health institutions, and that the primary goal, Is to help treat those affected by the coronavirus epidemic.”

Majeed also explained that Iraqis have difficulty accessing basic medical supplies to combat the corona pandemic, and hospitals suffer from a lack of medical tools, and the health situation is in a “continuous deterioration.”

The Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment on Wednesday announced an increase of 2,415 new coronavirus cases, a new high in the past few days. The ministry also announced another 107 fatalities, raising the national total coronavirus-related death tally to more than 2000 since the outbreak began in Iraq.

Editing by Khrush Najari