Crippled Iraqi boy receives treatment in Kuwait

A 12-year-old boy who lost both arms and was severely burned when a bomb struck his home in Baghdad has arrived in Kuwait for treatment.

Ali Ismail Abbas lost both parents and sustained his terrible injuries during a US air raid two weeks ago. As facilities at Baghdad were limited, Ali was transferred to a specialist unit for treatment.

Earlier today, doctors in the Saud Albabtain burns centre in Kuwait said that Ali had undergone treatment for his burns. Infected tissue had been excised and skin from the centre’s tissue bank had been placed over the worst of the young boy’s burns. Dr Imad Najada said Ali was recovering well.

Ali will later be flown to the UK where he is expected to receive artificial limbs.

Baghdad’s health infrastructure remains in chaos following the three-week long bombing campaign by coalition forces.

One surgeon in Baghdad has described how he performed an operation by the light of an oil lamp, and this was at one of the Baghdad few general hospitals that was said to be “operating normally” and was capable or treating admissions.

Aid agencies have confirmed that the situation in the Iraqi capital is slowly improving and looting in the city has largely subsided.

(SP)