New Health Clinic Opens in Fallujah

Built in in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Fallujah, a new healthcare clinic built with assistance of the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, Camp Fallujah, opened on Tuesday and can serve up to 250 patients a day:

FALLUJAH — A community healthcare clinic opened in the Shuhada district of Fallujah Tuesday.

The clinic was built to help bring healthcare to the community and help alleviate the strain on Fallujah General Hospital. More than 800 local citizens attended the grand opening ceremony to see Iraqi physicians and get treatment.

The Shuhada healthcare clinic is part of the plan to build the capacity of the healthcare system in the city. The facility was built by the Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, Camp Fallujah, and is staffed by Iraq doctors from Fallujah General Hospital.

“Our main goal is assisting the Iraqi care system by getting the facilities back on line and running to capacity,” said Navy Cmdr. Dan Cornwell, ePRT health and medical advisor. “This clinic’s opening is another step towards the Fallujah healthcare system
functioning on its own.”

The grand opening also gave Iraqi doctors the opportunity to work with Coalition force doctors, who served as mentors and teachers. “It gave our doctors the chance to learn new techniques,” said Dr. Omar Sumosein Alrawi, a physician and director of the clinic.

An important catalyst for the project is the improved security situation in Fallujah, which is a product of the work of Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces in the city. “With security improved, we can begin reconstruction and restore many of the essential service the residents need,” said Cornwell.

Situated in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Fallujah, the clinic can serve up to 250 patients a day and handle many different healthcare services.

Beyond the services and medication, hundreds of Shuhada children were given toys and backpacks by the ePRT. Plush toys were accumulated from drives at Yuma, Ariz., Regional Medical Center; New Ulm, Minn., Medical Center; and Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, Cailf.

As we noted before on this blog, helping the citizenry return to as normal a life as possible is the key to continued security. As security improves the basic human services that so many Iraqis have been missing out on can return. The one is not accomplished without the other despite what many pundits want you to believe.

Great work guys!