2-19-06, 9:22 am

On 'Communist Martyr Day' Mobile 'Communist Clinic' Provides Medical Aid in Baghdad

On Tuesday 14th February, the day well-known in Iraq as 'Communist Martyr Day', marking the anniversary of the execution of Yousuif Salman Yousif ('Fahad') in 1949, the Mobile Communist Clinic celebrated the occasion by going to spot where comrade Fahad had been publicly executed, to provide medical aid to the public. According to Iraqi CP’s daily newspaper, Tareeq Al-Shaab (People’s Path), Dr Mazahim Mal-Allah Mubarak, the Clinic director, took his team and medical equipment to the place, close to the busy public transport station Alawi al-Hilla Garage, and put up a banner about the anniversary. Within seconds of arriving, at 10.00 a.m., after Dr Mubarak had put on his white coat, a large number of people converged on the place. A traffic police patrol arrived to find what was going on, and they decided to help the medical team by organising the growing crowd of people in a queue.

Many people expressed their appreciation for this initiative. One of them expressed his feelings in simple and moving words: 'You communists are concerned about the people’s well-being and work for them'. Dr Mubarak was busy replying to questions and queries by his patients and providing medical advice. Some were happy to get hold of medicines that were usually rare and expensive in pharmacies.

One of the patients refused to leave after receiving medical advice, insisting on handing a 5,000 Iraqi Dinars bill (about $3) as a donation to the Iraqi Communist Party. In one case, however, the doctor gave a destitute person some money.

The number of people treated and given medical advice by the Mobile Communist Clinic, over a period of 3 hours, were about 220, mostly elderly and destitute. The medical cadre responded to words of praise by stressing 'we are only carrying out our duty as Communists in helping the people'.



Photos of the Mobile Clinic at work can be seen on the following site: http://www.tareekalshaab.com/issue113-71/113/pdf/p12.pdf