An Iraqi man is seen inside a sterilization room at Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Iraq, on March 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
"Great efforts have been made by the Chinese gov't in different aspects" to contain the outbreak of coronavirus, said an Iraqi expert, suggesting Iraq follow the Chinese experience as the situation in the country may become more serious.
BAGHDAD, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi analysts said Iraq hopes to benefit from China's health experience in confronting the outbreak of COVID-19.
"I believe that Iraq can benefit from the experience of China in its efforts to contain the outbreak of coronavirus," said Ibrahim al-Ameri, a political expert and teacher of politics at the University of Baghdad.
"Great efforts have been made by the Chinese government in different aspects: treating infected people, reducing fatality rates, protecting social stability, and strengthening emergency medical supplies," al-Ameri said.
He said that Iraq must take into account its own capabilities if it wants to follow the Chinese experience.
As China considers the epidemic as "a big test," the situation in Iraq is expected to be more serious, al-Ameri explained, referring to growing number of COVID-19 cases amid a weak health system due to unrest and years of battles against the extremist Islamic State militant group.
Al-Ameri stressed that Iraq must learn from the Chinese people who are showing "a great deal of determination and discipline" to help themselves and the world as well to contain further spread of the epidemic.
"I think the world should be grateful for the sacrifices made by the Chinese people in battling the disease and preventing it from spreading," he added.
For his part, Abbas Farhoud, head of Health Inspection Department of the Iraqi Health Ministry, told Xinhua that Iraq is trying hard to benefit from the Chinese experience in confronting the virus.
He thought China is transparent in declaring the number of infected cases and has transferred its experience to the World Health Organization, so that other countries can make use of such experience.
"There is a decrease in the number of cases in China because China took firm measures and allocated huge amount of resources to fight the epidemic," Farhoud added.
On Monday, a positive step took place when the Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Zhang Tao held a meeting with Abdul Karim Mustafa, undersecretary for political affairs at the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, where the two exchanged views on cooperation in combating the novel coronavirus.
According to a statement by the Chinese Embassy in Iraq, Zhang said during the meeting that China will donate diagnostic kits to Iraq to help it fight the outbreak of the COVID-19.
The donated kits from China will be enough to diagnose 1,000 suspected cases, the statement said.
"The Chinese side is currently studying positively the possibility of donating other medical materials and providing technical support for Iraq," Zhang was quoted by the statement as saying.
The two sides also discussed the beneficial experience China has gained in confronting and curbing the coronavirus, according to a separate statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.
Late on Monday, the Iraqi Health Ministry announced that 26 cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Iraq, with 13 of them in the capital Baghdad. ■
