Photo By Christina Bhatti | Nurses chat at the front desk of the refurbished maternity ward of the Abu Ghraib...... read more read more
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By Sgt. 1st Class Christina Bhatti
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division
ABU GHRAIB, Iraq – The once war-ravished Abu Ghraib Hospital, west of Baghdad, is slowly but surely getting new life. What was once one crumbling building is now a sprawling complex, boasting new equipment to better care for the hundreds of thousands of people who live in the city.
Approximately $3 million was spent by five different sources for approximately 20 different refurbishment and building projects.
"The most difficult part of this whole operation was getting the different funding organizations together to synchronize their efforts," said Keith Parker, a native of Henderson, Nev., and senior public health advisor for the embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, assigned to 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team "Warrior," 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
The first organization to fund projects was the International Relief and Development organization. Other projects were then funded by the Commander's Emergency Response Program, Iraq-CERP, Quick Response Fund and the Government of Iraq's Ministry of Health.
Parker said the MoH now funds more than 50 percent of the projects, but its involvement was slow coming and took a lot of coordination.
"It is great they are now funding their own work," Parker said. "It's hard to have pride in something given to you."
The man behind the coordination of all the organizations was Dr. Naja Nouri, the hospital's director. Parker said he was insistent for the MoH to come on board and provide the support the agency was created for.
Since the beginning of the projects, Nouri has overseen the progress to ensure each was completed in a timely manner and with the quality he said he expects from a hospital.
"How can I not know what is going on here" he asked. "It is important for me, as the hospital director, to make sure each project is done right so we can give the best care possible."
Parker stressed the importance of Nouri's oversight as well as regular inspections by the MoH engineers.
"The MoH engineers are really great," he said. "They increase the quality of work and really ensure the work is done to proper standards."
Parker said he hopes this hospital's success is a model for other hospitals in the area.
"Change is difficult," he said, "but the process is slowly shifting to the right people at the right levels of government. This is what needs to happen to slowly take the U.S. out of the picture. This is their time to shine."
| Date Taken: | 01.18.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 01.18.2009 08:36 |
| Story ID: | 28980 |
| Location: | ABU GHRAIB, IQ |
| Web Views: | 358 |
| Downloads: | 281 |
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