Iraqi government proposes new schools, hospitals and homes

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani looks to get agenda started after coming to power more than a month ago

An Iraqi man receives treatment in the emergency ward of a hospital in Baghdad. AFP

Iraq's government is proposing to offer soft loans to build 500,000 homes and provide much-needed hospitals across the country, the Iraqi News Agency said.

The agenda was discussed in a special cabinet meeting on Monday.

The programme includes the building of hospitals in Basra, Maysan, and Anbar, adding 1,000 beds across the cities, plus up to 5,000 schools, the report said, quoting a government source.

It has been more than a month since Iraq’s parliament approved a new government headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, ending more than a year of political deadlock during which the country teetered on the verge of collapse.

Works passed by the cabinet also included the urgent start of a project to tackle traffic in Baghdad by building tunnels, overpasses, bridges and improving highways.

The programme also looks to address food security, improve social welfare and quadruple the funds available for small project loans, the government source said.