MP Submits Formal Inquiry on Demolition of Basra Teaching Hospital

BASRA, May 28 — MP Alaa Al-Haidari submitted a set of formal questions to Health Minister Saleh Mahdi Al-Hasnawi on Wednesday regarding the recent demolition of the Basra Teaching Hospital, requesting a written response within 15 days.

In his inquiry, Al-Haidari raised concerns about the future of the facility and its impact on healthcare in the province. His questions included whether the hospital will be rebuilt after demolition and the estimated cost of both demolition and evacuation.

He also asked about the effects of the demolition on local health services and the fate of the hospital’s medical equipment and supplies — specifically whether they will be stored, redistributed, or decommissioned.

Al-Haidari further sought clarification on the legal status of three newly constructed operating rooms that have yet to be put into service and whether alternative solutions were considered before deciding on demolition.

The inquiry was submitted under the constitutional and legislative provisions that allow members of parliament to exercise oversight by formally questioning government ministers.

The inquiry follows public speculation and criticism surrounding the demolition decision, which some claimed was linked to handing over the hospital land to private investors. However, Basra Governor Asaad Al-Eidani denied these claims on Tuesday, stating that the land had not been granted to any investor and that the site would be transformed into a fully integrated medical city serving the province.

Al-Eidani said the demolition was based on a technical engineering report that found the aging structure and damaged foundations posed a risk if continued to be used. “The decision was purely technical,” he stated, emphasizing that the hospital’s 20-donum plot remains registered under the Basra Health Directorate and cannot be converted into an investment project.

“The claim that the land has been handed to an investor is a fabrication,” Al-Eidani said in an official statement. “We are moving forward with improving Basra’s healthcare infrastructure.”

He added that a formal evacuation and reconstruction plan had already been approved based on recommendations from a specialized engineering team from the Ministry of Construction and Housing.