Due to the significant lack of rain water and low levels of rivers that feed water purification units, people of Diyala governorate face drinking water scarcity and contamination, the Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS) has installed a water purification and desalination unit (RO) at Jalawla general hospital in Diyala governorate to alleviate the suffering of communities most affected by water scarcity and pollution.

“The IRCS teams have installed a water purification and desalination unit (RO) in Jalawla general hospital in Diyala governorate, with a production capacity of (2000 liters / hour),”, more than (300) patients benefit from the hospital’s services every day, and the facility has been given three water coolers with filter systems just for them’’, said Nawar Abdel Qader, Director of the IRCS`s rehabilitation and sanitation department.

Abdul Qader went on to say: “The goal of constructing the above – mentioned unit is to offer safe, sterile water for laboratories, operating rooms, maternity wards, and patients, this is part of a project with the Swedish Red Cross to install desalination units and repair six schools in Diyala governorate.”

The IRCS`s teams efforts were praised by Mahmoud Shaker, the administrative assistant at Jalawla general hospital, because the hospital was in desperate need of this unit due to a lack of safe water for medical operations, and the Jalawla district suffers from water scarcity and pollution, as well as old carrier networks which needs renovation and upkeep.

Mr. Nawar has confirmed that this is the fourth desalination and water purification unit installed by the IRCS in the hospitals of Diyala governorate, following the installation of three desalination and water purification stations in the governorate, the first at the general hospital in Muqdadiya district, the second at Al Khalis hospital, and the third at the general hospital in Baladruz district, also installing two desalination units for the residents of remote areas and far from the city center in the districts of Muqdadiyah and Baladruz, with the same production capacity of (2000 liters / hour).

“Since the start of the Corona crisis, the Iraqi Red Crescent has installed 14 water purification and desalination units in five governorates, including Nineveh, Baghdad, Diyala, Anbar, and Salah al-Din,” Abdul Qader explained.

“There is a project under study in collaboration with the Norwegian Red Cross and in coordination with the Diyala health directorate, and it will be implemented if the relevant assessments are completed to renovate (4) health centers in Diyala governorate,” he stated.