Health care gets more mobility in Al Muthanna
Volume 11, No. 53, October 05, 2006
By Maj Mark Tanzer

Girl talk: Pte Kristy Smith, a 3CSSB medic, with an Iraqi girl near the Mobile Health Clinic in the village of Al Twayl. Photo by Cpl Rob Nyffenegger

THE Australian Army has helped improve living standards in Al Muthanna with the opening of two CIMIC projects by CO Overwatch Battle Group-West Lt-Col Michael Mahy.

Lt-Col Mahy opened a $114,000 electricity project for residents of As Samawah’s Sheep Market Quarter and a $330,000 mobile health clinic. This is the second mobile clinic to be funded by Australia as a gift to the people of Al Muthanna.

The work to build and equip the mobile clinic was performed by a local contractor. It will now be given to the Health Department to maintain and include with its fleet of ambulances and heavy vehicles.

The clinic consists of a prime-mover truck with a trailer-mounted caravan on the back. The caravan has four rooms fitted with specialist equipment to allow a doctor, dentist and optometrist to work in remote locations.

Lt-Col Mahy thanked the Provincial Council, in particular the contractor, for assisting with the project.

“Sixty per cent of the people of Al Muthanna Province live in rural areas. The mobile health clinics are a great way of delivering care and help to people who would otherwise have to travel great distances to receive attention from a medical practitioner,” Lt-Col Mahy said.

“This is particularly important for the elderly and for infants, as they are often in great need of medical attention.”

The electricity project involved work to extend 11 KVA feeder lines from the national grid into the residential area near the former sheep market in As Samawah.

“Electricity is very important for the people in Al Muthanna, and there are numerous electricity projects funded through the CIMIC program that have either been completed or are under construction,” Lt-Col Mahy said.

“This electricity project employed 25 people during construction, providing jobs for locals. Where possible, our aim always is to ensure our projects provide job opportunities for people in Al Muthanna.”
Both projects were supervised by Capt Bill Boyd-Law.