SUNDAY, 5 AUGUST 2007
Very few people go to the effort of writing comments on the posts I publish with the exception of some of the lighter hearted ones.
This post on the surface is no different, however it has generated a number of emails, with comments and links, personal accounts and stories relating mainly to my impression on the ex-director general of the Medical City; mostly accusing me of being naïve in my assessments, others of being timid in my assertions, and one specific one may ultimately prompt the fourth demise of this 3eeraqimedic.
But for now at least I will revisit, and remind everyone that if you feel particularly aggrieved by something, you, unlike me can remain very much hidden by choosing to post a comment anonymously, you can even choose a pseudonym without having a blog and be more diligent than I in covering your tracks thereby allowing comment and response, the concept of blogging is after all to expose the truth hidden behind the media friendly façade.
Perhaps the most useful information gleaned since I penned my first post was "finding" an entire talk given by the aforementioned speaker that had previously been uploaded to You Tube (do you see the pattern?), in eight parts, with double the talk time this was much more detailed, but essentially much the same subject matter.
By linking here it will allow others to see something similar to what I saw, and make their own judgments and take up any specific points they want.
Having watched these in detail and conferred with others working in the Medical city at the time I will make a few comments about factual errors in the contents:
The statement about the lack of computers and Internet in the medical city and Iraq before the war (the latter is clearly not true as evidenced to the world by the internationally renowned bloggers from Salam Pax, and others. The Medical City had computers and Internet access albeit monitored prior to the war)
An attempt is made to give the impression that the dual medical / surgical casualty departments was something new, this is false, they existed as far back at 1989-1990 (personal knowledge).
addendum: these existed in 1989-1990, were then either shut down or converted to alternative uses and restored recently.
I will leave you to ponder how much change was left over from the 50-million-dollar budget for the Medical City (which excluded medications, and the new beds) after the garden was weeded, the buildings were re-painted and 160 computers were acquired.
addendum: the 160 (or 165) relates to internet lines, over 450 computers were purchased
And to those who still need clarity I stand by my original gut instinct
ANYONE who returns from a comfortable life abroad to take up a position of authority within the establishment of Iraq under OCCUPATION is a TRAITOR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2C4ZhfNqIw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB1EyacduUc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdg4y-MXiJY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMBgZLWHPjw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icqfg0BATw8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl0rf3eAoJo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmFQBwljtM8
POSTED BY 3EERAQIMEDIC AT 22:06 5 COMMENTS
Little Penguin said...
Dr, i'll be perfectly honest.. Whilst I am not fully aware of the current/past condition of the Medical City, I absolutely appreciate your efforts to shed light onto it.. It's very helpful..
I was having a very brief discussion with my brother, who's quite politically flammable, whether Iraqi professionals living abroad had any right to take up positions of authority after the war. He said they had not a single right, I suggested that priority should be given to those who could help more irrespective of their residency.. if an economist lived in Al Adel neighbourhood and another lived in New York - they're the same..
I hate to see this deep-rooted animosity between those who lived abroad and those who endured the bombs and arrests and what-not..
Allah kareem.
07 August 2007 11:47
3eeraqimedic said...
Little Penguin
Well now that I have calmed down and come off my soap box (with the help of younger and wiser friends and siblings) I can just about debate this again!
I do not agree that professionals from abroad can just swan back into top positions, people who have managed to work under almost impossible situations of years of sanction cannot be compared to those who have had an easier life elsewhere and it is very condescending, insulting and counterproductive to go lording it over people in this way.
Expertise should be exchanged, people on the ground are extraordinarily resourceful, and often in a much better position to advice on what is needed to improve things if given the chance.
So in your example I would say the accountant from Al-Adil should get several extra points over the one from New York.
The other aspect of this is my own personal view on occupation, and the participation in a government during occupation gives credence to this occupation, and here again I make a distinction between those living in Iraq who may have no alternative but to do what is necessary to keep food on the table, and those living comfortably abroad and who are just plain greedy for power and money.
07 August 2007 18:34
A&Eiraqi said...
3mti
After reading this post, I kept searching for a while;
Going through an old interview with one of those who you mentioned (Amir Al-Mukhtar); I just noticed the follwing;
· المقدمة:نعم امير نواصل الحديث مع الدكتور عبد الامير المختار.التأثير الحزبي في السنوات الماضية على اداء وزارة الصحة.انت ضمن الكوادر المسؤولة،ماذا اعطت الاحزاب لصحة وزارة الصحة؟
· المختار:انا اعتقد بانه يجب ان يكون الطب بعيدا عن اي سياسة،اصلا هو العملية الطبية لا تعتمد على شخص واحد عملية متكاملة، فريق يعمل لتقديم الخدمات والفريق يتكون من مختلف الاحزاب والانتماءات الفكرية والقومية والمذهبية ويجب ان لا نفرق في ذلك.يجب ان نعتمد في التعيين بصورة اساسية على الكفاءة وان يعتمد على الشخص الذي اثق به،صحيح .
Well; how come that the guy himself, Adil Muhsin (Health minisry head detector) and Ammar Al-Saffar, in addition to the first health minister in Iraq after the invasion, are all members of Al-Dawa party?!!!!
And you can check this site:In which Adil Muhsin is just using the old Baathist way to accuse the second Health minister to be Baatist and kind wit Baathist.
http://www.forum.iraqgreen.net//showthread.php?t=5150
Well; is that how the health system away from politics?!!
Another thing
Here Al-Mukhtar is talking about Medications in Iraq
· المقدمة:هناك موضوع مهم،ربما يؤشر عليه الكثير من علامات الاستفهام هو استيراد الدواء.لماذا يصف الاطباء نوع الدواء المستورد في العراق،انه غالبا من اسوأ انواع الادوية؟
· المختار:بالنسبة للشركة العامة لاستيراد وتوزيع الادوية،تستورد الادوية ضمن المواصفات العلمية والعالمية وضمن السيطرة النوعية،وبالتالي الادوية التي تستوردها وزارة الصحة عن هذا الطريق،هي ادوية جيدة جدا.اما ما يستورد بصورة غير رسمية،يعني يهرب او تجاوزات من قبل بعض الاشخاص خارج وزارة الصحة ،هذا ما تشيرين اليه.هذه الادوية الان نجدها على الارصفة،وفي بعض الصيدليات توجد ادوية يمنع استعمالها،واذا كانت كفاءتها محدودة وليست خطرة،ايضا السيطرة ضعيفة،هذا الذي تعمل جاهدة وزارة الصحة على تجاوزه ،والحقيقة مرة اخرى مع ضعف الوضع الامني تؤثر على ملاحقة المتجاوزين على هذه الظاهرة،فهنالك مداهمات لهم في مستشفيات وفي مراكز يباع فيها الدواء المستورد تجاوزا،لكن الدواء الذي يستورد رسميا،لا يمكن
ان يكون الا جيدا.
This is an absolute rubbish, I was in Baghdad when he gave that talk and I can assure you that; this is not true, the medications being used by hospitals are not the good ones in case they're available.
All what the guy did was taking photos immediately after the invasion when hospitals where destroyed during the loeten and then other photos before they are being used after polishing them.
Few new beds, painting walls and refurniuring doesn't really help to improve the health services while there is great lack in medications, equipments, Ambulance, Oxygen, and a very long list of thigs.
They don't just lie but they show their sectarian identity to get their post, and no one will get a high post in Iraq nowadays unless he proves that he is loyal to his sect.
The first question emerged into my mind ; what do those guys want from those videos and meetings??
Here the whole interview if you're intrested
http://www.alsharqiya.com/display.asp?fname=aboutus%5C2006%5C013.txt&storytitle=
Regards
08 August 2007 19:01
3eeraqimedic said...
AEIraqi
I think we think very similarly in many ways.
But what has really saddened me about his whole set of posts is that no one comment, no one email has mentioned the first part of the first post.
Everyone is talking about a person, no one is talking about the people on the ground again, and even I got caught up in the whole filthy mess as well.
I will stick to my memories in future.
10 August 2007 20:12
Bruno said...
That was a very blunt and clear message, Medic. I think that there are many people that should read it. Unfortunately these people lurk on their own sites and forums, and pretend that real Iraqi voices opposed to the tragedy that has overtaken Iraq do not exist.
14 August 2007 15:22
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