Erbil's 150-Bed Cancer Hospital Nears Completion
Construction of Erbil's 150-bed cancer hospital has passed 80% as the KRG expands specialized hospitals, cancer care and advanced health services.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Construction of a new 150-bed cancer hospital in Erbil has passed 80% completion, bringing one of the Kurdistan Regional Government's largest specialized healthcare projects closer to opening as authorities expand hospitals, cancer services and advanced treatment across the Kurdistan Region.
The hospital is being built on a 30,000-square-meter site and consists of five floors, including a basement and four above-ground levels.
More than 80% of construction, electrical and mechanical work has been completed, while interior finishing and wall cladding are advancing.
Karzan Nimat, Engineering Director at the Erbil Health Directorate, told Kurdistan24 that work is proceeding according to international standards and that preparations are also underway to supply advanced medical equipment.
"Once the building is completed, all of the equipment will be delivered to the hospital," Nimat said.
The project is being implemented under the direct supervision of Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and in coordination with the Ministry of Health.
An official KRG update in August, when construction had reached 70%, said the facility would provide comprehensive cancer diagnosis and treatment, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, surgery and a dedicated emergency department.
The government said construction began in October 2024 with a local workforce and was progressing quickly enough for the hospital to become operational before the end of its original three-year timeframe.
Officials have described the facility as the largest specialized cancer-treatment project in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq and say its capabilities will place it among the most advanced cancer hospitals in the Middle East.
The project forms part of a wider expansion of healthcare infrastructure under the KRG's Ninth Cabinet.
Kurdistan24 reported in September that Health Minister Saman Barzanji said 31 hospitals had been built during the cabinet's tenure, with another six under construction and 21 specialized medical centers established.
Barzanji also said around 20 dialysis centers had opened across districts and sub-districts, while early cancer-detection centers were operating in Ranya, Halabja and Zakho.
Cancer policy has increasingly included prevention alongside treatment. Kurdistan24 documented expanded free breast-cancer screening and a year-long cancer-prevention campaign in Soran, as well as investment in cancer medicines and equipment.
The government has also been upgrading existing hospitals.
Kurdistan24 also reported in July that a comprehensive modernization of Rizgary Hospital in Erbil had begun under Barzani's direction, including renovations to wards, emergency departments and operating theaters and the introduction of newer medical technologies.
The new cancer hospital adds a major specialist facility to those initiatives.
Once operational, authorities expect it to bring advanced oncology services together in one location, reduce pressure on existing cancer centers and lessen the need for patients from the Kurdistan Region and other parts of Iraq to travel abroad for specialized treatment.