A Visit to Sumawah

Hi all
its 20th of novembre, i finally finished the supposed two years of working in rural areas.at the same date two years ago i began my work in Abu Ghreib.i'll start working at the centre of the ministry of health next week.
i have learned alot of things during this period regarding dentistry,dealing with different types of people and health administration.
meanwhile i was preparing for postgraduate studies in baghdad university and in germany.
i was accepted in germany before baghdad but there were many obstacles precluded joining german PG studies.
now im studying Masters in college of dentistry/baghdad university.

last week i was in Sumawah in Al-muthanna south of iraq.it was the first time after 12years!.
there was a big change in the cities that we passed and in the same province.
rarely we could see concrete barriers there unlike baghdad which is prisoned by concrete barriers,barbed wires and many checkpoints.
i passed one checkpoint at the entrance of Sumawah and none inside the city.
the realestate are very expensive,exceeding 1.5million(approximatly 1260$ US)for 1metre!!!
the roads are under reconstruction.
lesser sway of political parties than baghdad,corroborative citizens to the government.
however,i missed baghdad.

A New Place of Work

FIRST week of my work in the new health centre has finished.the number of patients is greater than that of the previous centre but the quality of work there is better. extraction and presecribing medications for the patients is what we offer as a dental treatment. 16 dentists working on 4 chairs. I know some of them dr. M,Dr. N,Dr. Z,some of them are complicated,others insociable.i used to have a “family” relation with my colleagues.
Next week we’ll begin a polio vaccination operation.this time I’ll participate.it includes dividing the participant medical staff into groups,each group responsible for vaccinating children in their homes of a specific area and registering them.
My mom had a thyroidectomy operation last week.she complained a lot about her thyroid gland and recurrent episodes of pain. postoperatively she had hypertension problems, severe fever and difficulty in swallowing but she is ok now except for the scary scar on her neck.
The situation of Baghdad is miserable. checkpoints everywhere, concrete barriers and barbed wires along the roads and round the districts leaving one way for entrance and exit resulting in a horrible jam.
Sometimes I go out for work at about 6:45 a.m to reach at 9:30a.m,that’s not fair. last week I had to leave the driver at that checkpoint because they were searching the cars and made delay for no reason, we “I and Z” had to walk across the checkpoint under the hot sun of summer on the dusty road of Abu Ghreib to ride another car going to work, we were very exhausted; moreover we were considered as “delayed” and not allowed to fingerprint!!!!!!

On Friday;I have received an email of an acceptance to study Master of Laser in Dentistry at Aachen University.Module 1 began on Sunday, I didn’t have the time for issuing a visa.

Ramadhan Mubarak

its early morning.we'll have electricity for a while.im sitting on the dental chair with my laptop since there is neither a space in the clinic nor chairs to sit on.the employees took them out to the garden of the health centre because we didnt have electricity and the generator was broken.my colleagues are talking about clothes and shopping.
the working hour now starts at 7:00 a.m.its very early though its good for us because the sun is burning and the temperature hits over 50c many times.
ramadhan(the fasting month) began.im doing my best to overcome thirstiness during fasting.the first day was good.it was my off day.i went to my friend's house to help them fixing the air conditioner then went out with my other friend.we went to my boss's private clinic where we were trying to coordinate suitable colors for the painting of the walls.i fixed the compressor that is attached to the dental chair,chose the colours and gave him my opinion and advices about the clinic.
my boss "dr.B" is a very nice,youthful and humorous guy. he is few years older than us and we communicate with each other as friends rather than as a boss and employees.last tuesday;we went to a restaurant(it was his idea)we ate kabab,laughed and told some jokes.my friend "Z" ate a very big shesh kebab and had abdominal pain hehehe.i remebered my old friends. i miss them alot.

at the level of my future life im about to make a big change,however its not easy to take such decision so fast. i need to be sure that i'll do it on the right way.any other decision wont take such alot of time.


my apology for not posting during the last months.

Baghdadentist

ELECTIONS

After many days of waiting to the election day,voting for the candidates began this morning. Cars were banned last night and many roads that lead to the election centres were closed by barbed wires and army vhecles.
With the begining of the voting many explosions occurred in Baghdad.news were about falling many mortar in many districts in the city including Adamyah,Al-adil,Palestine street,Ur and many other places in a wave of attacks. Baghdad is not secured.
Two days ago we heard about threatens by some terrorists to not participate in the elections and today some people were not allowed to participate in some places like Abu Ghreib because the guarding army for those centres that belongs to the 6th unit didn’t allow people to do so as the habitants said.
With all the fears of going to vote,Iraqis insist on democracy to stop violence and choose Iraqi citizens to represent them

Here is the card that will allow me to vote



Im going to the election centre in an hour.