The presentation ceremony of medical equipment to Al-Samawah General Hospital in the Governorate of Al-Muthanna, provided by Japan's grassroots human security grant aid, was held on June 12 (Sun) from 15:00 (local time: 10:00) at Al-Samawah General Hospital. Attending the ceremony on the Japanese side were officials of the Liaison Office in Samawah of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members concerned of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces (JGSDF) and others involved, and on the Iraq side, Deputy Governor of Al-Muthanna, Director of the Health Department of the Governorate, Director of Al-Samawah General Hospital, representatives concerned of medical institutions of the Governorate, and others.
Al-Samawah General Hospital is the only medical institution in the Governorate of Al-Muthanna that is able to perform ophthalmologic, urologic and other types of specialized examination. The hospital, however, lacks the equipment needed for treating patients with such problems. The residents are, therefore, forced to receive medical treatment in Baghdad and other places where such services are available. The aid extended this time will provide both the ophthalmologic and urologic departments of the hospital with equipment necessary for the treatment of retinopathy patients and for therapeutic endoscopy. By reconstructing the medical system of each department of the hospital through this aid, it will become possible to provide treatments which were available only in Baghdad and few other places.
This assistance is expected to create more synergy among the emergency assistance projects such as the Project for Rehabilitation of Four General Hospitals in the Southern Region of Iraq including the Samawah General Hospital and the Project for Provision of Equipment to Primary Health Centers in the Governorate of Al-Muthanna. Japan has been extending assistance to these projects. Such synergy is also expected in projects carried out with the grassroots human security grant aid in medicine and public health, as well as the humanitarian and reconstruction activities provided by the JGSDF in the medical field.