1 SEPTEMBER 2005 | AMMAN/GENEVA
- As many as 1,000 people are dead and hundreds wounded after a stampede on a bridge in northern Baghdad on August 31st. In order to avert more deaths among the wounded, and to help alleviate suffering and mental trauma, WHO is working closely with the Iraq Ministry of health and other partners.
Emergency health kits, containing essential life-saving supplies, were delivered to Baghdad yesterday and can be used to manage this emergency.
Oxygen cylinders and emergency medicines for people who are injured
In times of crisis, hospitals supplies are completely stretched. WHO has helped to deliver emergency supplies of oxygen to nine hospitals. Every day, each hospital will receive 100 cylinders - enough to help 2700 people daily. The hospitals are Qazemia, Kharakh, Yarmouk, Medical City Hospital, Al- Nohman, Al Noor; Al Sadr, Al Kindi, and Imam Ali hospitals.
WHO is purchasing US$ 50,000 worth of drugs and medical supplies, which include anesthetics, IV fluids, sutures and anti-tetanus sera. Some items arrived today, and more are expected in the coming days.
Emergency psychological support
People involved in the tragedy and their families may need psychological support in the short and longer term. To help provide this, WHO is supporting the National Council on Mental Health in Baghdad.
A team of mental health specialists are developing a draft emergency action plan for psychosocial support. WHO will help compile of list of health professionals who can help in the coming days. In the next 10 days, medical students, qualified nurses, university nursing students, teachers, doctors, other workers in Primary Health Care centers and religious leaders will be recruited to go through a one-day training course and provide first aid psycho social support, with the support of WHO.
WHO is providing the booklet "fundamentals of Psychosocial Support and First Aid for Survivors of Trauma"; to help with training those who will visit the survivors and their families in hospital wards. Those who need it can be prescribed medicines such as diazepam. Home visits to the traumatized families will be facilitated by trained Ministry of Health staff.
For more information contact:
Dr Fadéla Chaib
Director-General's Office/Media and Communications
WHO/Geneva
Telephone: +41 22 791 3228
E-mail: chaibf@who.int