KRG builds military hospital for Peshmerga
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) plans to build a military hospital that provides medical services for Peshmerga forces fighting the Islamic State (IS), a KRG official said Saturday.
The Directorate of Health in Erbil announced the KRG would begin building a military hospital for treating Peshmerga fighters wounded in the battle against IS.
Kurdistan currently has one military hospital located in Sulaimani Province, but there is no military hospital available for the Kurdish forces to get treatment in Erbil and Duhok Provinces.
As a result, injured Peshmerga were required to get treatment in public hospitals or hospitals abroad.
Saman Barzinjy, the head of Erbil Health Directorate, told Kurdistan24 that the government decided to build a military hospital for Peshmerga forces in Erbil.
“The building of the hospital will cost $10 million, and the construction will start soon,” he stated.
According to Barzinjy, the 300-bed military hospital project has already begun but due to the current financial crisis facing the Kurdistan Region, it has been suspended.
“The KRG has allocated a building and all necessary medical equipment to provide a temporary hospital to be reserved for the Peshmerga forces and their families until the specialized military hospital is completed,” he explained.
Shorsh Military Hospital is the only military hospital on the outskirts of Sulaimani exclusively allocated for members of the Peshmerga forces and their families.
Hama Rasheed Shamerani, a Peshmerga Commander, told Kurdistan24 a “specialized” hospital specifically for the Kurdish forces is necessary.
“Peshmerga forces are in urgent need for a specialized military hospital to get treatment because the wounded fighters face difficulties in public and private hospitals,” he said.
In late June, the General Director of the Peshmerga Ministry Jabar Yawar released the statistics of Peshmerga casualties in the war against IS.
So far, more than 9,000 Peshmerga fighters have been wounded, and 1,466 others martyred.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany