Efforts ongoing to provide trauma care to people in need in Mosul, Iraq

Cairo, 25 January 2017 – As the conflict in Mosul intensifies and greater numbers of civilians are caught in the crossfire, WHO and partners have increased trauma care services to ensure that patients requiring medical care for injuries have a greater chance of survival. However, additional funds are needed in order to provide a full scale of health services to the 2.7 million people affected.   Trauma casuality rates remain high near frontline areas, with many trauma cases requiring referral from Mosul to Erbil in northern Iraq. From 17 October 2016 to 18 January 2017, 1610 wounded civilians were sent to Erbil’s 2 main hospitals to receive trauma care. Many hospitals in Mosul have suffered extensive damage and are no longer able to provide health services to the general population and to civilians injured. Without these services, patients are experiencing serious complications, and in some cases death.  A patient’s chance of survival is greatly increased if they receive medical care within an hour of injury – known as the “golden hour”. To fill this gap, WHO and partners have established a 50-bed field hospital, with two operating rooms, in Bartella, eastern Mosul to treat severely injured patients with gunshot wounds, mine and shell injuries, and other injuries.  The hospital is staffed by health professionals with various specializations, including surgeons, paramedics and trauma care nurses. Three additional field hospitals with a capacity of 40–50 bed...
Source: WHO EMRO News - Category: Middle East Health Source Type: news