Celebrating One Year At The Centre Of Excellence For Complex Care In Erbil, Iraq
Swisscross Founder, Dr Enrique Steiger at the opening of the Centre of Excellence for Complex Care in September 2021.
HUMANITARIAN-CENTERED WORLD-CLASS CARE.
On September 21st 2021, Swisscross Foundation officially opened the Centre of Excellence for Complex Care in Erbil to serve refugees and vulnerable communities injured through the circumstance of war and conflict.
Our Centre, with the generous and unwavering support of UAE Aid, is the first humanitarian complex care program facility in Erbil, Iraq.
To date we have received over 1111 patient referrals from local NGOs, doctors and hospitals.
The Swisscross Electronic Triage Tool - a multi-language, scalable application that allows healthcare workers to send details for patient triaging, has received 457 patient referrals.
Over 90% of our patients are refugees living in camps or are vulnerable internally displaced communities.
In the last 12 months Swisscross working with local healthcare volunteers and agencies have delivered free life-changing reconstructive surgeries to some of the most vulnerable people in Iraq,
We have successfully completed 124 complex surgeries of which 74% were provided to children under the age of 12 years old. More than 40% of our patients are women and over 50% of cases involve burns and plastic surgery for injuries received due to war and conflict.
Local plastic surgeon, Dr Alla Shukur with Ahmad, 3 at the Centre, just before surgery. November 2021
One of the first patients to come through our doors in September 2021 was three-year old Ahmad Mustafa Burki, a Syrian refugee, who received horrific injuries after a missile attack on his home when he was a six-month-old baby. Ahmad, who has become a much loved part of the Swisscross volunteer family, lost two limbs and was badly burnt after the attack.
Over the last year, Ahmad has undergone multiple surgeries at the Centre for burns across his face, torso and legs. After losing a foot in the missile attack, Swisscross were able to provide a temporary prosthetic foot for him, allowing Ahmad to walk for the first time. This young, brave boy still has more procedures to undergo, which Swisscross is committed to providing.
SWISSCROSS TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS
The Swisscross story in Erbil began with a global and local team of 40 surgeons, nurses, specialists, local NGO workers and healthcare workers, including local surgical residents in specialist training and volunteers at Zheen International Hospital, where the Centre is housed.
In the last year, these volunteers have given over 280 days of their time to serving vulnerable communities, including clocking over 200 hours in the operating room during humanitarian missions in Erbil.
In 19 days between November 2021 and September 2022, Swisscross screened 479 patients and completed an estimated 80 follow-ups with patients we have cared for at the Centre.
Swisscross Global Medical Corp with local medical professionals at the Centre in Erbil. November 2021.
Our global team of experts span across general reconstructive surgery, plastic surgery, maxillofacial surgery, anaesthesia, nursing, microvascular surgery, and general & arthroscopic orthopedics.
In addition to providing complex care needs, these global specialists have become a critical part in preparing the next generation of local doctors in Iraq.
Swisscross hired two young medical graduates - Dr Sarezh Saber and Dr Lass Azad when the Centre opened - committing to the ethos of imparting knowledge, skills and training to local doctors and healthcare professionals.
Dr Enrique Steiger, a veteran war surgeon imparting invaluable training to Swisscross field officers and junior doctors, Dr Sarezh Saber and Dr Lass Azad in Erbil 2021.
Strengthening and building local healthcare capacities is a cornerstone principle at Swisscross, which has direct and sustainable impact on patient outcomes. We recognize in empowering frontline healthcare communities, we can build an ecosystem where young doctors can thrive and sustain the future of complex care in Iraq.
As we mark this milestone anniversary and the many accomplishments at the Centre of Excellence for Complex Care, we pay homage to an entire network of healthcare volunteers, partners, Swisscross staff, Swisscross advisors, hospital porters, drivers and most of all our patients, who despite the adversity have been a constant inspiration of strength, courage and perseverance.
We head back to Erbil next week to begin a new humanitarian mission. Please consider supporting refugees and vulnerable populations injured in war here.
We are grateful to the invaluable support of UAE Aid, KRG Ministry of Health, Barzani Charity Foundation, SWEDO, and SEED Foundation, who work across refugee and displacement settings in the Kurdistan region, and Nadia's Initiative which advocates for survivors of sexual violence and rebuilding communities in crisis.
