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U.S. Troops Protecting Hospital in Baghdad Overwhelmed by War Casualties, Short Agency of Staff, Drugs
Aired April 11, 2003 - 15:17 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.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Looters have stripped one of Baghdad's hospitals of everything, even the light bulbs. U.S. troops are protecting another hospital in the Iraqi capital, a facility overwhelmed by war casualties and short agency of staff and drugs. James Mates has more now on the Baghdad hospitals.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMES MATES, ITV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The worst of the fighting may be over in Baghdad, but battle casualty, many, if not most civilian, continue to be rushed into the city's main hospital. They are brought here in the belief they'll get medical care. What they find is primitive, basic, dirty, care in name only.
Most of the hospital staff have been too frightened or simply unable to get to work. Those who are here are struggling with limited power and water and a dwindling supply of drugs. They rely on relatives to do the most basic tasks. This child loyally holding a drip for his wounded sister.
With just one anesthetist, the operating theater works only intermittently, these patients are lying in a corridor waiting for amputations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The limb is all crushed so it is also waiting for amputation.
MATES (on camera): It's waiting for...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amputation. And now she is bleeding. You know the dressing now is wet, is all wet with blood.
MATES: Blood throughout?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MATES (voice-over): Dr. Fardi Bernham (ph) takes us from patient to patient, this man's arm smashed by shrapnel, boiling with frustration at how little he's able to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) alive, but in a bad condition. Later on, few hours later this morning she has just died.
MATES: She was just six years old. Zanaf Karim (ph) is still alive, but only kept so by the unrelenting efforts of her family. For 36 hours now they have kept air in her lungs by squeezing this bag.
(on camera): What we have seen here today bears only the faintest resemblance to a hospital. And yet the staff here assure me this is the best that Baghdad has to offer. Which is why however little they can do for anybody in these filthy, primitive conditions, people keep oncoming here.
(voice-over): We wondered therefore how bad things must be elsewhere. The presence of a U.S. tank outside should have given us a clue because the Americans are protecting this hospital. Where there are no troops, we found this. The Olympia (ph) Hospital in downtown Baghdad stripped bare by looters. They were still there when we arrived, shamelessly grabbing a few final items. Two young boys even removing the light bulbs.
An air-conditioning unit was proving stubborn, but it would soon be gone. The Red Cross here are furious the Americans have not stepped in to prevent this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We consider that it is the duty of the occupying power to do so. And we hope that they will be in a position to actually protect the activity and medical activity and access to medical facilities.
MATES: If they are angry, many ordinary Iraqis are angry, too. Sights like this are not going to win hearts and minds.
James Mates, ITV News, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
War Casualties, Short Agency of Staff, Drugs>
Aired April 11, 2003 - 15:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Looters have stripped one of Baghdad's hospitals of everything, even the light bulbs. U.S. troops are protecting another hospital in the Iraqi capital, a facility overwhelmed by war casualties and short agency of staff and drugs. James Mates has more now on the Baghdad hospitals.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMES MATES, ITV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The worst of the fighting may be over in Baghdad, but battle casualty, many, if not most civilian, continue to be rushed into the city's main hospital. They are brought here in the belief they'll get medical care. What they find is primitive, basic, dirty, care in name only.
Most of the hospital staff have been too frightened or simply unable to get to work. Those who are here are struggling with limited power and water and a dwindling supply of drugs. They rely on relatives to do the most basic tasks. This child loyally holding a drip for his wounded sister.
With just one anesthetist, the operating theater works only intermittently, these patients are lying in a corridor waiting for amputations.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The limb is all crushed so it is also waiting for amputation.
MATES (on camera): It's waiting for...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Amputation. And now she is bleeding. You know the dressing now is wet, is all wet with blood.
MATES: Blood throughout?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
MATES (voice-over): Dr. Fardi Bernham (ph) takes us from patient to patient, this man's arm smashed by shrapnel, boiling with frustration at how little he's able to do.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) alive, but in a bad condition. Later on, few hours later this morning she has just died.
MATES: She was just six years old. Zanaf Karim (ph) is still alive, but only kept so by the unrelenting efforts of her family. For 36 hours now they have kept air in her lungs by squeezing this bag.
(on camera): What we have seen here today bears only the faintest resemblance to a hospital. And yet the staff here assure me this is the best that Baghdad has to offer. Which is why however little they can do for anybody in these filthy, primitive conditions, people keep oncoming here.
(voice-over): We wondered therefore how bad things must be elsewhere. The presence of a U.S. tank outside should have given us a clue because the Americans are protecting this hospital. Where there are no troops, we found this. The Olympia (ph) Hospital in downtown Baghdad stripped bare by looters. They were still there when we arrived, shamelessly grabbing a few final items. Two young boys even removing the light bulbs.
An air-conditioning unit was proving stubborn, but it would soon be gone. The Red Cross here are furious the Americans have not stepped in to prevent this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We consider that it is the duty of the occupying power to do so. And we hope that they will be in a position to actually protect the activity and medical activity and access to medical facilities.
MATES: If they are angry, many ordinary Iraqis are angry, too. Sights like this are not going to win hearts and minds.
James Mates, ITV News, Baghdad.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
War Casualties, Short Agency of Staff, Drugs>
