Assessment of Temporary Medical Clinics During the Arbaeenia Mass Gathering at Al-Karkh, Baghdad, Iraq, in 2014: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

Abstract

Background: During mass gatherings (MGs) public health services and other medical services planned to protect MG attendees as well as people living around the venue and minimize risk of disease spread. These services are essential components of adequate planning for MGs. The Arbaeenia MG signifies the remembrance of the death of Imam Hussain, celebrated by Shiite Muslims and it takes place in Karbala, which is a city in southern Iraq. This annual MG is attended by millions of people from within and outside Iraq.Objective: To map availability of medical supplies, equipment, and instruments and the health workforce at the temporary clinics installed in Baghdad Al-Karkh, Iraq, 2014.Methods: This assessment was conducted on the temporary clinics that served the masses walking to Karbala from Baghdad. These clinics were set up by governmental and non-governmental agencies and some faith-based civil society organizations, locally known as mawakib. We developed a checklist to collect information on clinic location, affiliation, availability of safe water and electricity, health personnel, availability of basic medical equipment and instruments, drugs and other supplies and average daily number of patients seen by the clinic.Results: A total of 30 temporary clinics were assessed, 18 clinics were set up by the Iraq Ministry of Health (MOH) and 12 by other governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The clinics were staffed by a total of 44 health care workers. The health workers served 16,205 persons per day, an average of 540 persons per clinic, and 368 persons per health care worker per day. The majority of clinics, 63%-100%, had basic medical diagnostic equipment. Almost all clinics had symptom relief medications (87%-100%). Drugs for diabetes and hypertension were available in less than 55% of the clinics. The majority of clinics had personal hygiene supplies and environmental sanitation detergents (78%-90%), and around 50% had medical waste disposal supplies. Instruments for cleansing and dressing wounds and injuries were available in almost all clinics (97%), but only four clinics had surgical sterilization instruments.Conclusions: While temporary clinics were relatively equipped with basic medical supplies, equipment and instruments for personal medical services, the health workforce was insufficient given the number of individual seeking care, and only limited public health service, personal infection control, supplies were available at the clinics.