The volunteering medical team on their way to Iraq.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has deployed a volunteering medical delegation to Iraqi Kurdistan, to implement a new medical convoy under the “Little Hearts” programme.
The five-day project involves performing cardiac catheterization procedures for 70 children with congenital heart defects at the Specialized Cardiology Hospital in Erbil, in cooperation with the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS), at a total cost of QR 512,872.
The delegation comprised Dr. Hisham Al-Salous, Cardiac Catheterization Consultant at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Bahaa Al-Din Jumaa, Consultant of Pediatric Critical Care at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), and Alaa Al-Din Mohamed, Senior Cardiac Catheterization Technician at Sidra Medicine. Upon their arrival at Erbil Airport, they were received by Ahmed Kahwaji, representative of the Consulate of Qatar in Erbil, and Bahaa Al-Nogomy, acting head of QRCS’s office in Iraq.
Today morning, Dr. Mohamed Salah Ibrahim, Director of Relief and International Development Division at QRCS, arrived in Iraq to launch some new humanitarian projects there. He held a meeting with HE Meshaal Abdullah Al Hajri, Acting Consul General of Qatar in Erbil.
With a view to supporting the health sector in Iraq, the doctors will perform cardiac catheterizations to treat children of displaced Iraqis, Syrian refugees, and local families from the host community.
All necessary medical equipment and supplies were provided for free, to help alleviate the financial burden on poor families who cannot afford treatment. Another objective of the project is to build the capacity of local medical professionals, by providing them with training and expertise while working with the expert delegation from Qatar.
QRCS has a long history executing health projects in Iraq since 2013. Examples include medical convoys of cardiac catheterization for children, support for health facilities, and COVID-19 control. Currently, there is a project in progress to treat eye diseases and perform eye surgeries. All these operations cost $1,567,675 in total.
