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CNN Live Today
Discussion with Christopher Stokes
Aired March 27, 2003 - 10:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: By telephone right now, Christopher Stokes is in Baghdad. He works with the group, Doctors Without Borders. And it's my understanding, Christopher, that you've been going to local hospitals, checking up on civilians. Based on your observations, where you have been so far, what are you finding?
CHRISTOPHER STOKES, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: Just a quick word on the -- Doctor Without Borders are working in Baghdad. I'm answering you on phone from Brussels. We've been in touch with the team regularly over the last few days, and basically what we've been doing is working in a hospital for Al Kindi (ph), which is one of the main hospitals receiving wounded in Baghdad for the moment.
According to the staff we're working with in the hospital, they received about 250 civilian injured and wounded since the beginning of the conflict in Baghdad.
HEMMER: And among the civilians, any military?
STOKES: As we -- we're working in shifts for the moment, so Doctors Without Borders will have surgeons, and anesthetists and doctors who will be working in the hospitals shifts. We're not there on a continuous presence, so for example, yesterday attack on the market, there were 12 wounded and apparently four deaths. We weren't on that shift. But most of the people we have been seen in the hospital civilian wounded.
HEMMER: OK, listen, the injuries are what then, Christopher?
STOKES: They range from the 250 over this period, range from minor to major injuries, leading to major operations, and so you've got the whole range of injuries and wounds that you would expect from this kind of conflict, and that we've seen in other conflicts, and really affecting a group of population that goes from women, children to adult men.
HEMMER: Have you have heard from your team in Baghdad about medical supplies and the assistance they might or might not be getting?
STOKES: Yes, this is one of the constraints, so what we're seeing are two problems today in Baghdad. One is clearly the staff heavily in some cases overworked. There is a high level of stress, because they are coping with extra workload of injured, and wounded for the moment, so part of the aim of our teams is to relieve them and to help cope, to help Iraqi doctors and surgeons cope with the civilian wounded and injured for the moment in Baghdad. And then the second problem is you point out is the one of supply. We've already been giving them anesthetic, painkillers, suture bandage kits, et cetera, but in some cases, the stocks have been running low, and we have a further 10 tons on the road for the moment to be sent from Jordan of surgical supplies, which we hope will be able to reach Baghdad today or tomorrow.
HEMMER: All right. Christopher, thanks. Doctors Without Borders. Next time, if you can get any one of the members of your team in Baghdad we would appreciate that. Thank you for joining us in Belgium.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 27, 2003 - 10:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: By telephone right now, Christopher Stokes is in Baghdad. He works with the group, Doctors Without Borders. And it's my understanding, Christopher, that you've been going to local hospitals, checking up on civilians. Based on your observations, where you have been so far, what are you finding?
CHRISTOPHER STOKES, DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS: Just a quick word on the -- Doctor Without Borders are working in Baghdad. I'm answering you on phone from Brussels. We've been in touch with the team regularly over the last few days, and basically what we've been doing is working in a hospital for Al Kindi (ph), which is one of the main hospitals receiving wounded in Baghdad for the moment.
According to the staff we're working with in the hospital, they received about 250 civilian injured and wounded since the beginning of the conflict in Baghdad.
HEMMER: And among the civilians, any military?
STOKES: As we -- we're working in shifts for the moment, so Doctors Without Borders will have surgeons, and anesthetists and doctors who will be working in the hospitals shifts. We're not there on a continuous presence, so for example, yesterday attack on the market, there were 12 wounded and apparently four deaths. We weren't on that shift. But most of the people we have been seen in the hospital civilian wounded.
HEMMER: OK, listen, the injuries are what then, Christopher?
STOKES: They range from the 250 over this period, range from minor to major injuries, leading to major operations, and so you've got the whole range of injuries and wounds that you would expect from this kind of conflict, and that we've seen in other conflicts, and really affecting a group of population that goes from women, children to adult men.
HEMMER: Have you have heard from your team in Baghdad about medical supplies and the assistance they might or might not be getting?
STOKES: Yes, this is one of the constraints, so what we're seeing are two problems today in Baghdad. One is clearly the staff heavily in some cases overworked. There is a high level of stress, because they are coping with extra workload of injured, and wounded for the moment, so part of the aim of our teams is to relieve them and to help cope, to help Iraqi doctors and surgeons cope with the civilian wounded and injured for the moment in Baghdad. And then the second problem is you point out is the one of supply. We've already been giving them anesthetic, painkillers, suture bandage kits, et cetera, but in some cases, the stocks have been running low, and we have a further 10 tons on the road for the moment to be sent from Jordan of surgical supplies, which we hope will be able to reach Baghdad today or tomorrow.
HEMMER: All right. Christopher, thanks. Doctors Without Borders. Next time, if you can get any one of the members of your team in Baghdad we would appreciate that. Thank you for joining us in Belgium.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
