In Iraq, many doctors fear for their lives.
Doctors for years have faced physical and verbal abuse from the families of some patients who die in their care.
With at least 800 Covid-19 patients succumbing to the third wave of the pandemic in Iraq this month alone, medical practitioners in the capital say they are seeing an increase in attacks from bereaved relatives since the pandemic began.
While an official number of attacks has not been compiled, Abbas Al Taan, a general practitioner at Al Rusafa Hospital in Baghdad, estimates dozens have occurred over the past 18 months. The most recent high profile case to be shared on social media was on July 12, when armed men stormed Al Kindi Hospital in the capital after the death of four coronavirus patients.
“The threats and intimidation have become a culture,” Dr Al Taan told The National. “Every week we see a grisly incident of an attack on a doctor across Iraq unfolding online. Many go unrecorded.”
Graphic videos of doctors being beaten in other parts of the country have appeared on social media. Families of patients in critical condition have also attacked hospitals with firearms and smashed equipment and ventilators already in short supply.
Some doctors have even received death threats from powerful tribes tied to the families. There have also been demands for blood money from doctors when a patient dies.
Sub-par infrastructure
Years of civil strife and inadequate funding have left Iraq’s healthcare system in tatters. The doctors say they cannot be held responsible for the ill-equipped hospitals battling a surge in cases.
Iraq has recorded more than 1.5 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. The actual number is thought to be higher, because many have remained unreported as people avoid going to government hospitals.
More than 18,000 people have died since the first case was detected in February last year.
Covid-19 units have been hastily built, resulting in sub-par construction. Long power cuts and a shortage of oxygen, vital for treatment, have not helped.
The recent situation in hospitals across Iraq has been particularly dire, with two deadly fires breaking out in less than three months in Covid-19 units. The first killed more than 90 people in Baghdad in April. The second, in Nasiriyah earlier this month, claimed at least 60 lives.
Adding to the doctors’ distress are patients who initially refused hospital treatment, fearing they would have to quarantine in government facilities. By the time they were admitted, it was too late.
The Health Ministry estimated at least eight doctors have died of Covid-19 and nearly 600 contracted the virus since February last year, mainly because of the severe shortage of personal protective equipment.
Blood money
Meanwhile, the doctors have had to contend with regular threats of tribal attacks and demands for blood money, said Ali Al Anbouri, a professor at the University of Baghdad’s Al Kindy College Of Medicine.
If the Arabic death threat Matloub Dam is found written on the door of his or her house, the doctor has to contact the clan of the deceased and pay compensation. Some doctors go into hiding with their families until they manage to negotiate a settlement, says Dr Al Anbouri.
“We have in Iraq very influential tribes who see the doctor as a symbol of state failure and vent their anger on the medical staff,” Prof Al Anbouri told The National. “Too many doctors have fled as they either couldn’t afford the blood money or out of despair.”
Representatives of the Iraqi Medical Association sometimes act as the agent between the tribes and the doctors in blood money cases, an official at the association said.
“The doctors know the state laws will lead them nowhere and they don't want to gamble with their lives,” he said.
Iraqi doctors have started abandoning a healthcare system that was the envy of the Middle East in the 1960s and the 1970s. As many as 20,000 of the over 52,000 registered physicians have reportedly left the country of 40 million people since the 1990s.
Gasping for breath
Poor health care has been among the core grievances of the mass protests that broke out in late 2019. Iraqis demand an overhaul of a political system that, they say, is corrupt, has plundered state resources and pushed ordinary people into poverty.
In 2019, health minister Alaa Alwan resigned, citing insurmountable corruption and threats from people opposed to his reform efforts.
“Our hospitals are not an option [for care],” said Hussein Jasim, a 45-year-old security guard at a shopping mall in Baghdad.
“Where do I start? The lack of hygiene among doctors and nurses, the lack of basic supplies or the lack of oxygen canisters or the lack of beds or the fires that gut sick patients? I’d rather die at home.”
Every house in Baghdad has a tragic story to tell about the loss of a family member to Covid, said Mr Jasim, who lost his uncle to the virus in April. Still, he condemns the recurrent attacks on doctors as “barbaric and unjustifiable”.
New laws
In recent months, doctors across the country have staged sit-ins, demanding new laws to protect them. The current law, which stipulates six to 12 months in prison and a fine for assaulting a government employee, is hardly a deterrent.
There have also been mounting calls from medical staff to carry weapons. But that cannot be a solution, Prof Al Anbouri said.
“I’m totally against arming doctors,” he said. “I understand the deep frustrations of my fellows, but it’s the government’s responsibility to protect us.”
The Health Ministry could not be reached for comment despite numerous attempts.
The only ray of hope has been the recent increase in the albeit slow pace of Covid-19 vaccinations. Iraq has so far vaccinated just 1.3 million people or around 1 per cent of the total population, according to the latest official data.
During the last week reported, Iraq averaged about 18,834 doses administered each day. At that rate, it will still take a further 418 days to administer enough doses for another 10 per cent of the population.
The health authorities have also teamed up with international organisations such as the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders to help set up additional intensive care units and testing centres as well as to train doctors and medical staff on how to cope with the pandemic.
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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What is the Supreme Petroleum Council?
The Abu Dhabi Supreme Petroleum Council was established in 1988 and is the highest governing body in Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas industry. The council formulates, oversees and executes the emirate’s petroleum-related policies. It also approves the allocation of capital spending across state-owned Adnoc’s upstream, downstream and midstream operations and functions as the company’s board of directors. The SPC’s mandate is also required for auctioning oil and gas concessions in Abu Dhabi and for awarding blocks to international oil companies. The council is chaired by Sheikh Khalifa, the President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi while Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, is the vice chairman.
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Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Avengers 3: Infinity War: an American superhero film released in 2018 and based on the Marvel Comics story.
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Dubai Rugby Sevens
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Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
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UAE Division One
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
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Everton v Bournemouth (7pm)
Manchester City v Crystal Palace (7pm)
Southampton v Manchester United (7pm)
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Leicester City v Liverpool (8.30pm)
Sunday
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Monday
Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion (11pm)
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
