Dr Brian Sommerlad Children with Cleft Lip & Cleft Palate
Dr Brian Sommerlad, a leading surgeon in cleft lip and palette surgery from Great Ormond Street, London (UK), saw children patients with the diagnosis this November. He thoroughly discussed his prognosis to each patient with local Kurdish doctors for them to have a better understanding for treatment and condition.
In 2013, KSC Health Sector was also engaged in an Income Generation Project for the families living in villages in borderline areas, displaced from the place of their residence during the annual Iranian and Turkish summer artillery and air raids and currently settled in the Qandil Mount Area.
To provide a source of income for the displaced families, KSC will distribute domesticated lifestock among the families-in-need. The funding for buying lifestock was provided by a donor from Switzerland.
As an initial step for the project implementation, the Sector did a need-assessment survey among the families residing in the Qandil Mount Area to identify the possible project beneficiaries. The survey was conducted in close cooperation with the Sangasar Sub-District mayor.
In 2013, the total number of the surveyed villages was 19 as follows.
On November 12th, the Sector team visited four villages: Brade, Beresh, Surade, and Ashqulka.
Next day, field visits were made to 10 other villages in the area: Gomtan, Bayawan, Dwele, Sille, Khwebian, Eindze, Lawzha, Pishtashani Saru, Pishtashani Xwarw, and Qirnaqa.
On November 17th, the team visited the villages of Sahrosh, Kaskan and Sinamoka.
On November 18, the team visited two villages: Bolle, and Asterokan
Income Generation Project
HEALTH
The traumatic history of war-torn Iraqi Kurdistan, has badly affected the health of the population, especially the children. To alleviate some of the problems KSC has expanded its work in this field this year (2005) and formed a separate sector handling even more cases and with additional resources.
KSC Health programs provide medical support and rehabilitation for children who suffer from any kind of disease or any type of disability. We help the families to identify the necessary treatment, and if the medical care is not available locally, we try to access help or treatment abroad. In cooperation with foreign governments or NGOs, we help to arrange the funding necessary.
KSC runs a children rehabilitation centre with the co-operation of the local Ministry of Health. It specialises in treating children with mental and physical disabilities, chronic and incurable diseases. At present, we have a recorded 15,000 such children, in Sulaimaniya and the surrounding areas.
KSC also funds and runs various research projects related to health and medical treatment. The nature of the research differs from time to time. However, the objectives are the same – to improve the general health of all children.
KSC Health programs provide medical support and rehabilitation for children who suffer from any disease or disability. We help the families to identify the necessary treatment and if the medical care is not available locally, we try to access help or treatment abroad. In cooperation with foreign governments or NGOs, we help to arrange the funding necessary. Below are a few of our on-going projects were are daily committing to..
The rehabilitation centre for children is part of the KSC Health department. It provides disabled children with trained physiotherapists and paediatricians, as well as psychological and social support and any necessary equipment. The centre was opened in Sulaimaniya in Iraqi Kurdistan in 1993.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, KSC provides the centre with all necessary equipment, staff and finance. More than 15,000 children are registered at the CRC and every week 350 children attend the centre. Many of them come from villages outside of the city and in those cases KSC pays for transport to and from the centre by bus or taxi.
So far hundreds of children have recovered or have significantly improved their condition. The rehabilitation centre is unique in the area as it not only specialises in children’s rehabilitation but also provides a follow-up program until treatment is complete. The children receive care from professional physiotherapists and paediatricians, suitable equipment and regular training is provided.
Psychologists and social workers are also available for children who need them for a successful recovery. Those who require special surgical intervention, for example, orthopaedic, neuro or plastic surgery, are given complete support by KSC from start to finish. Some children have been sent to Baghdad and Iran for more advanced operations.
The physiotherapy team also make home-visits, especially to those living a long way from the centre. In some of the smaller towns near Sulaimaniya, there are local CRC clinics; they have limited facilities, but play an important part as they are easily accessible for families.
So far all the equipment for the disabled children is designed and made in the workshops at the CRC in Sulaimaniya. They provide the children with wheel chairs, crutches, eating and study aids and prostheses.
The centre is currently planning to build new facilities, with more space and specially adapted for disabled children.
