Al-Sudani: 18 hospitals completed, 8 more under construction

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani said Monday that 18 hospitals have been completed and opened across Iraq during his term, with eight more under construction.

Speaking at the launch of a 100-bed hospital project in the Al-Rahmaniyah–Al-Shu‘ala area on Baghdad’s Karkh side, Al-Sudani emphasized the goal of easing pressure on existing hospitals and reducing the need for citizens to travel to provincial centers for treatment. “The health sector has been given top priority in the government’s program,” he said.

According to a statement from Al-Sudani’s media office, Iraq’s public hospital bed capacity has increased from 43,500 to 46,900 over the past three years and is expected to reach 60,000 once current projects are completed.

Statement from Al-Sudani’s media office:

Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani launched today, Monday morning, the execution works of a 100-bed hospital project in the Al-Rahmaniyah–Al-Shu‘ala area, located on the Karkh side of Baghdad. The project is one of 16 hospitals of the same capacity being implemented under the Iraq–China Framework Agreement.

The Prime Minister commended the efforts of the Ministry of Health’s staff in improving healthcare services, highlighting the government’s plans to establish district-level hospitals to spare citizens the hardship of traveling to provincial centers and to ease pressure on existing facilities. He also stressed that the new hospitals will be built according to modern architectural designs and equipped with all the necessary medical technologies.

Key highlights from the Prime Minister’s remarks:

🔷 The government has completed and inaugurated 18 hospitals of various capacities, while 8 additional hospitals are currently under implementation, with completion rates ranging between 60% and 90%.

🔷 Numerous delayed and suspended hospital projects have been reactivated after resolving the causes of delay.

🔷 The health sector has been given top priority in the government’s program, both in completing healthcare infrastructure and in adopting the Health Insurance System.

🔷 In less than three years, the bed capacity of public hospitals has increased from 43,500 to 46,900 beds, and is projected to reach 60,000 beds upon completion of ongoing projects.

🔷 The government has adopted a joint management and operation system in six hospitals, through partnerships with international healthcare institutions, to enhance the quality of medical services provided.