Cancer cases surge at Sulaymaniyah’s Hiwa Hospital

SULAYMANIYAH, December 28 — Approximately 3,000 new cancer patients were registered at Sulaymaniyah’s Hiwa Hospital in 2023, according to a member of the hospital’s administration.

Dr. Mohammed Abdul Wahab, a member of the Hiwa Hospital’s scientific committee, said as of Wednesday, 2,998 cancer patients, predominantly from Sulaymaniyah governate, were registered, with the most prevalent types of disease including colon, breast, and lung cancer.

According to Abdul Wahab, doctors face an ongoing challenge of capturing the full scope of cancer diagnoses, emphasizing that cases have more than doubled in the last year. Some 1,042 patients were recorded in 2022.

Despite financial challenges, he expressed the hospital’s commitment to maintaining high-quality services and called for continued support to ensure service resilience.

Established in August 2007, Hiwa Hospital serves as a public institution dedicated to the treatment of cancer and blood diseases. Its work extends beyond Sulaymaniyah, attracting patients from various cities in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.