INA – BAGHDAD
PM Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi inaugurated on Friday Al-Rahman MRI and CT Scan Center at Ibn Al-Bitar Cardiac Surgery Hospital in Baghdad.
“The center, the first of its kind in Iraq, houses an advanced diagnostic system featuring the latest global medical technologies and incorporating artificial intelligence applications, as part of the government’s efforts to bring about a qualitative transformation in the health sector and localize advanced medical services within the country,” according to a statement by the PM Media Office, reported by the Iraqi News Agency – INA.
Al-Zaidi toured the center’s departments in the presence of the Minister of Health, during which he reviewed the advanced equipment, operational mechanisms, and services provided, affirming that “these advanced technologies represent a genuine investment in citizens’ health and will enhance diagnostic performance, accelerate medical procedures, and reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for specialized diagnostic examinations, thereby easing their financial and psychological burdens.”
The Prime Minister met with the hospital director and senior staff and directed that “the center’s services be provided entirely free of charge, that it operate 24 hours a day, and that a dedicated electronic system be introduced to receive patients’ requests and manage appointments, ensuring timely examinations, preventing delays, and promoting fairness and transparency in service delivery.”
“Under “Health First”, the government is committed to advancing the health sector,” he said, directing that “Health First” be adopted as the slogan of the current phase, calling for further strengthening healthcare standards and equipping healthcare institutions with the latest medical equipment and technologies to ensure that Iraqi citizens receive comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services within the country, in accordance with internationally recognized standards.
PM Al-Zaidi also stressed “the importance of continuing to improve the management of healthcare institutions and benefiting from the expertise of international companies specializing in hospital management.”
“A swift establishment of a fund for intractable diseases, the activation of the role of the Ministry of Health’s Inspection and Oversight Directorate, and greater attention to rare medical specialties,” he highlighted, emphasizing that “building an advanced healthcare system depends not only on constructing facilities or providing modern medical equipment, but also on efficient management, qualified staff, and sound governance.”
In turn, the doctors, healthcare staff, and employees of Ibn Al-Bitar Cardiac Surgery Hospital expressed “their appreciation for the Prime Minister’s attention,” describing it as “a message of support for healthcare institutions and medical staff,” welcoming “his firsthand assessment of the hospital’s needs and the requirements for further developing its services.”