Workers begin US-funded refurbishment of Baghdad hospital damaged in deadly fire

The aftermath of the deadly fire in late April at at Baghdad's Ibn Al-Khatib Hospital. (Photo: AP)
The aftermath of the deadly fire in late April at at Baghdad's Ibn Al-Khatib Hospital. (Photo: AP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The United States Embassy in Baghdad announced on Tuesday that it is providing the Iraqi government with much-needed assistance to rehabilitate the Ibn Al-Khatib Hospital for coronavirus patients in the Iraqi capital that was damaged by a deadly fire in late April.

An embassy statement explained that the US Agency for International Development (USAID) confirmed that the American Medical Students Association (AMSA), Iraq Branch, began cleaning several floors of the hospital building as the first step of reconstruction earlier on Tuesday.

The statement added that, in the coming weeks, organizations supported by USAID will replace the medical and non-medical equipment destroyed in the fire, including hospital beds and patient monitoring devices as well as personal protective equipment needed to treat COVID-19 patients.

In the early hours of April 24, more than 80 people were killed and 110 others were injured when a fire broke out in the Ibn Al-Khatib hospital, which is designated for treating coronavirus patients in southeast Baghdad, after an oxygen tank exploded.

After a preliminary investigation was completed the following day by a special government committee created for that purpose, it concluded that storage procedures were inadequate and that the casualties were made far worse because the building’s corridors were overcrowded with family members visiting patients.

Tuesday's report concluded that the Minister of Health and the Director of the Rusafa Health Department should be sacked for "failing to perform their duties."

In light of this, the minister of health submitted his resignation to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

The Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council also announced on Tuesday the arrest of Hospital Director Salman Al-Shammari and a number of hospital employees.

The embassy statement indicated that the development agency will work with Civil Defense personnel in Baghdad to install a new fire safety system in the hospital, which will likely include a sprinkler system, smoke detectors, fire extinguishing supplies, fire exits, ladders, and emergency signs.

It also added that that the American Medical Students Association will establish a monument to honor memorial to honor the memory of the victims of the fire.

“We are hopeful that this refurbishment project will get the Ibn al-Khatib hospital back up and running as quickly as possible – and that the newly installed equipment and fire safety systems help save lives while ensuring that such a tragedy can never happen again,” it read.

Editing by John J. Catherine