I refused to use my video camera because I could not bring myself to film dying children. And they are dying not because of the embargo but because the hospital does not get enough equipment and medicine from the government. A majority of these children would survive if their parents could buy potassium and magnesium, which are plentiful and rather cheap just across the border in Jordan. I offered to organize a private shipment of these vital supplements only to learn, upon my return to the United States, that the Iraqi government does not allow private assistance anymore. While the Iraqi doctors are very knowledgeable and dedicated to their work, there are no auxiliary personnel to sweep, wash, and clean the rooms.
Cockroaches roam freely everywhere.
There are so many of them that for the first time in my life I had to experience their cavalier tours of my body. To provide comfort to little patients, their families and friends are allowed into the rooms without any restriction. This policy encourages the free transmission of bacteria and viruses, which only aggravates the problem. While love flows freely in the hospital, there are no attempts to transfer this positive emotion into organized, sanitary projects, which would be more effective. Nobody does anything about it, however.