Iraq hospital cuts

(First Edition)

Iraq said on yesterday that UN sanctions had forced its hospitals to admit only emergency cases and cut operations, blood tests and X-rays, Reuter reports from Amman. 'Medical investigation through X-rays and blood screening has decreased by 82 per cent in the last few months because of acute medical shortages caused by sanctions,' said Iraq's Health Minister, Umeed Madhat Mubarak. Medical supplies are exempt from the UN sanctions, but Iraq is short of foreign exchange to buy supplies after rejecting a UN offer to let it sell oil under strict supervision.