PM gave heartfelt word in cornerstone ceremony of building largest Cancer Treatment Hospital

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The Prime Minster of Kurdistan Region Government, Masrour Barzani set the cornerstone of the largest Cancer Treatment Hospital, and gave a speech in Erbil on Wednesday

The full transcript of Prime Minister’s word:  

“In the name of God Almighty and Merciful
Dear attendants, good morning, and very, very welcome to you-all.

I am delighted that today we are setting the foundation stone of a very important project in Erbil, which is the cancer treatment hospital service plan, it will be built with advanced quality standards and will be put at the service of the beloved residents in Erbil and all over Kurdistan.

In Kurdistan Region, we have several specific cancer hospitals for the cancer treatment, serve our people very much, and patients from outside the Kurdistan Region, especially, from other parts of Iraq, come to them for treatment.

Therefore, I notice it as an obligation, to address my gratitude and highly valuing expressions to all the doctors and staff members of these hospitals for performing such sacred and humane duty.

Our health sector still needs a lot of supports and reforms. At the beginning of the cabinet, reforming the health system was one of my first attempts.

For this purpose, we consulted foreign experts, but, unfortunately, for more than two years, Covid-19 Pandemic pressure and Hardship fell across this sector and influenced our steps. However, noticeable steps have been taken regarding rearranging and quality of medicines.

In the regional health sector, the public and private sectors must develop equally and parallelly. The quality and level of service in the public health sector should be better, a citizen (in the public hospitals) should feel secure, comfortable and the existence of the services.

We have taken some actions and practical steps in this regard, also I have recommended my office to cooperate with Ministry of Health to improve several public sector hospitals as experimental project, including Rzgari Hospital in Erbil, which is one of the largest hospitals in Kurdistan

Dear all  

The cancer rate in this area has increased like the rest of the world, therefore it is necessary to work in details to reduce the causes of the illness as well as to insure the best treatments for our patients.

For the sake of reducing the expenditure and affording the cost of the treatment, we have set a Specific Support Box to fund, to financially help the cancer patients, we hope private sector and people as much affordable as possible to assist this box.  

The Kurdistan Regional Government is doing its utmost capability to improve the health circumstance, also raising the level and quality of our hospital and health settings.

In the Kurdistan Region, we have good scientific capacity and medicine, also we have very, very good physicians, who can serve our people better.  

In conclusion, I wish everyone a good health and safety, also a speedy recovery to all cancer patients and we will do whatever is within our ability to help and treat them, we won’t fall behind.

I thank the operation-application company on this project, I hope they can complete this hospital soon to function it for all people, either in Erbil or across Kurdistan and Iraq.

However, that is the only service plan, I hope and pray to God, InshAllah people wouldn’t need to visit it.

Finally, I hope you may stay happy and healthy, and our Kurdistan may stay prosperous.”  

Interpreted and translated by Seyran 

Today's announcement of a 150-bed cancer hospital in Erbil, with an investment of over $100 million, represents our collective effort – by government, the private sector and philanthropists – to support cancer patients here at home. pic.twitter.com/zcwWf5o7UT

— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) September 18, 2024