All of the three pediatric hospitals visited had modern buildings, but all showed the signs of lack of upkeep over the nine years of sanctions. Broken down elevators, dud fluorescent tubes, dingy corridors and dirty windows all evidenced neglect. The Basra Maternity and Children's Hospital building was the worst seen. All hospitals visited had standby generators to bridge daily power outages.
Hospitals get the general sewage-tainted city water supply.
None of the hospitals had the bright corridors, shiny floors and clean antiseptic smell that we take for granted in Canadian hospitals. High quality stainless steel beds lacked bedding. The patients had to bring their own, which often included unhygienic open sponge mattresses. Before sanctions were imposed in 1990, the Iraq's hospitals were staffed largely by Filipino nurses and Bangladeshi cleaners. As sanctions began their strangling effect on an oil revenue driven economy, these workers left.