Basic sciences laboratory facilities are inadequate and research capacities limited. Communication between regional hospitals and with the outside world are difficult. There is even a shortage of pencils and paper for patient records. Available drugs are often outdated or impure and there are major problems with equipment and supplies as basic as oxygen for surgery. Virtually no advanced treatment or diagnostic equipment exists in Northern Iraq.
Renal failure leads to death as there is no dialysate available for the kidney dialysis machines.
Patients with major medical conditions can be referred to Mosul or Baghdad, but even if they make the long, painful and expensive journey, they often die without treatment. Furthermore, many fear their lives will be at risk if they travel south into Iraqi controlled areas. There is no plastic surgeon in the region to repair major mustard gas burns to the skin or congenital malformations such as cleft lip and palate. With no specialist paediatric surgeon or paediatric cardiology facilities, children with major chemical or biological weapons induced cardiac defects die through lack of treatment. While there are many doctors in Iraq, such as those presently working in general surgery, there is a need for specialist training, for instance in the area of plastic surgery to heal extensive mustard gas burns.