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Domestic accidents; Self-immolation kill
more Kurds than war
30.7.2006
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Erbil,
Kurdistan-Iraq, July 29, -- In the Kurdish region of
Kurdistan (northern Iraq), which has seen little of
the sectarian violence plaguing much of the rest of
the country, doctors say they treat more people
burned in household incidents than injured by
explosives. Many of the patients at one specialized
hospital are women who doctors say have set
themselves on fire in suicide attempts. A higher
number are children, who are injured in domestic
accidents.
A terrible phenomenon is manifesting itself in
Kurdish society here. Women who have problems with
their husbands, parents or in-laws are attempting
suicide by setting themselves on fire. In the
largely patriarchal society, women have few rights,
are often illiterate, and often have no one to turn
to for help.
At the Emergency Management Center in Irbil, head
surgeon Dr. Husen Ibrahim Taha says the mortality
rate among these types of burn victims is extremely
high.
"Most of them die, unfortunately, because most of
the burns are big burns, more than 70, 80, 90
percent [of their body]," he said. "Most of them are
above 90 percent, because they use kerosene or
gasoline to burn themselves."
Kazim is the head nurse for the adult burn unit. He
says self-immolation is a serious problem in Kurdish
culture.
"Sometimes in one month we have 10, eight cases,
sometimes 11, sometimes 13," he noted. "But all the
time we have [cases]. If we did not receive the
suicide cases, I think, in one month, we will
receive only 10 patients."
Kazim says the women who do survive go on to face
even more problems, because they are disfigured or
disabled. The hospital lacks a psychiatrist or a
social worker, so little counseling is available to
patients.
Greater awareness about self-immolation is needed in
Kurdish society, and Kazim says he has participated
in several television and radio programs that have
taken on the subject, but he feels they have not
made an impact.
Another problem is the high burn rate among women
and children in domestic accidents. Dr. Taha
highlights the severity of this problem.
"In our locality here, in Kurdistan, burn victims
are for sure much bigger [numbers] than war victims
in Kurdistan at the moment," he said.
But household burn accidents are not limited to the
Kurdish region, and the hospital in Irbil receives
some of the worst cases from all over Iraq. All
patients are treated free of charge.
Hannah, 30, is the mother of four, and is expecting
again. Three weeks ago, at her home near the city of
Mosul, she sustained third degree burns over 45
percent of her body.
Many Iraqis cook on small stoves that are fed by gas
from a metal bottle. Hannah says her gas bottle was
empty, so she was cooking on an open fire. A flame
from the fire ignited the bottle.
Hannah was brought to the hospital in Irbil, where
she says she has received excellent care. She says
the doctors and nurses are like family to her now.
Cheman Abdul Karim, 19, was brought to the hospital
four days ago, after a similar accident.
"While I was cooking I added some kerosene to the
fire and it exploded," she explained. "They took me
to the hospital in Kirkuk, but they were very busy,
because there was a car bomb attack that day, and so
they sent me to Irbil."
Cheman sustained burns over 30 percent of her body,
including her face, head and chest.
Large numbers of children are also victims of these
types of household accidents. Dr. Taha says such
accidents could be prevented.
"It is due to ignorance of the parents, and also due
to our house modifications. Our kitchens are very
small, and they cook on the ground, and this is the
main cause of burns in children," he explained.
The hospital has just four surgeons and about 200
nurses to treat the burn patients, as well as
patients with war injuries, such as victims of car
bombings, landmines and gunshots who are brought
from other parts of Iraq. With limited technology
and a great deal of dedication, they are making a
difference in many peoples lives.
voanews com
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