Baghdad Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi chaired today, Tuesday, the twenty-seventh regular session of the Council of Ministers, which was devoted to discussing the tragic accident of Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in Nasiriyah, as well as discussing the topics on the agenda.
At the beginning of the session, Al-Kadhimi offered his sincere condolences and great sympathy to the families of the martyrs and the wounded in the catastrophe of Al-Hussein Hospital (peace be upon him) in Nasiriyah, and the Council read Surat Al-Fatihah standing for mercy on the souls of the martyrs, and directed to expedite the completion of the transactions of their rights to their families and to deport critical cases of the wounded out of Iraq.
Al-Kadhimi indicated that the responsibility is multiplied by the recurrence of such painful incidents, which coincide with attempts to disrupt the national electricity network and blow up energy transmission towers, and some attempt to destabilize internal security and spread chaos and question the Iraqi national decision, in addition to the great economic challenges the country faces.
He affirmed that great steps have been taken in holding the abuser accountable and addressing the defect, as happened in the previous time, and: “It is our responsibility towards our people and the families of the martyrs in particular,” stressing that the negligent and manipulators of the lives of citizens are held accountable according to the law.
Al-Kadhimi confirmed that the accident at Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in Nasiriyah indicates the defect structuralism in the administrative structure of the state, where the diagnosis and follow-up of errors is not employed in order to develop effective treatments, indicating the urgent need to launch a comprehensive administrative reform, the most important of which involves separating administrative work from political influence.
He said: “The investigation that we directed with will lead to the identification of the direct defaulters,” expressing his hope that the default was not intentional.
He continued: “Our patriotism never accepts the idea that an Iraqi deliberately kills his brother for a political goal, or that the benefit and position lead to recklessness and disregard for blood, or the push to blow up electric power towers to prove a certain point of view and thwart workers in their country,” stressing intolerance with the corrupt and manipulating the lives of citizens, whatever their affiliations and attributes.
The Prime Minister made it clear that there is systematic obstruction and deliberate media attacks in every step of reform and fighting corruption taken by the government, stressing to proceed to achieve reform and confront attempts to abort and distort it.
Al-Kadhimi also confirmed that the government had previously submitted to the House of Representatives a candidate for the position of Minister of Health, and is awaiting a vote on him, so that the Ministry of Health does not remain working without a minister for a long time.
In the context of the session, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity presented a detailed report on the status of the electrical system in the country, the efforts of the Ministry to increase energy production, and the obstacles facing the Ministry of Electricity represented by the continued targeting of power transmission towers by terrorist groups and sabotage gangs, and the burden it poses to the Ministry and exacerbates the suffering of the citizens.
The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, directed the necessity to work with utmost efforts in order to secure the electricity supply for citizens, and alleviate their suffering with the summer conditions. He also stressed that the maintenance departments in all electricity directorates should double their efforts and provide services to citizens, and stressed that the security forces continue their work in pursuing gangs targeting energy towers, have thwarted several attempts to detonate them and arrested a number of criminals.
In its session for today, the Council of Ministers hosted the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Electoral Commission and the administrative agents of the Ministries and Agencies to provide support to the Commission in its tasks as directed by the Prime Minister.
Al-Kadhimi renewed his assurances of providing unlimited support to the commission, and the need for the Ministries to mobilize their efforts to provide all facilities for the commission’s work in a way that helps ensure the success of holding the elections with high flow and wide participation.
After the Council of Ministers discussed the topics on the agenda, it issued several decisions, including the inclusion of the victims of the fire accident in Al-Hussein Hospital in the law of pension rights for the deceased employees of the Ministry of Health with medical, health and administrative professions, based on the provisions of Article (1/Second) of the aforementioned law.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency