Iraq – Concern over Covid surge in Baghdad

The Director-General of the Baghdad Health Department, Dr. Jasib Al-Hijami, stated a substantial and concerning rise in the rates of infection with Covid in Iraq in general and Baghdad in particular, and it may raise the alarm of an increase in the death toll as well. Al-Hijami pointed out that the hospitals for the quarantine of patients are full, there are thousands of critical cases in respiratory resuscitation and fifteen thousand cases in the home quarantine, while the appeals arose from the governorates urging the help to receive patients. The Director-General of the Baghdad Health Department, Al-Karkh, expressed that this increase is caused by the absence of health awareness among the citizen, leading to a large number of positive cases and the emergence of an urgent need for oxygen for the pandemic patients, which Iraq still imports from abroad and was unable to establish laboratories through investment to meet the local needs.