ERBIL // The Emirates Red Crescent has laid the foundation stone for a new eye hospital in Iraq’s Erbil province.
The Mother of the Nation Eye Hospital is the first of its kind in Kurdistan, and was opened in an event attended by Dr Mohammed Al Falahi, secretary general of the charity, and UAE and Kurdish officials.
Emirates Red Crescent has started several projects to serve displaced Iraqis and Syrian refugees in Kurdistan.
The 58-bed Ataya Hospital for Childhood and Motherhood, also in Erbil, serves displaced Iraqis and refugees, along with the local population, reported Wam, the state news agency. It was funded by proceeds from the Ataya exhibition, organised annually under the patronage of Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan, assistant chairwoman of the charity for women’s affairs, and wife of Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region.
Dr Al Falahi praised Sheikha Shamsa’s initiative to establish the maternity and paediatric hospital and promote health services of Iraqi women, who he said have borne the brunt of the repercussions in the humanitarian crisis there.
A camp with 632 residential units has also been established.
Karim Sinjari, Kurdistan’s interior minister, Rashid Al Mansouri, UAE Consul-General in Kurdistan, Nawzad Hadi, Erbil governor and other officials attended the eye hospital ceremony on Monday. Emirati singer Hussain Al Jassmi, ambassador of the Ataya initiative, also attended.
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