Friday, October 19, 2007

Iranian Chemically Wounded Veterans Gathering


According to Fars News Agency 300 Iranian veterans, who are suffering from lung wounds caused by chemical weapons used by Saddam during Iran-Iraq war, gathered in Isfahan with their families for a series of medical seminars. Iran’s foundation for Veterans and the Wounded believes that there are 50’000 individuals in the country who are suffering from chemical wounds. 350 of them have severe lung damage.

It has been a policy of Iran’s governments to send veterans abroad to seek treatment. That policy is changing now in favor of inviting international experts and physicians to Iran. According to the officials 7 medical expert visited Iran during last year and 5 did so in 2007. Official goal is to have an attending physician for every 20 chemically wounded combatants.

Isfahan seminars include seminars on tests and procedures for lungs that could be done in households with the help of family members. The goal of these gatherings is to improve the health standards and to decrease the response time to the emergencies that these veterans are facing.

International community and the USA never condemned Saddam’s use of chemical weapons during Iran-Iraq war. It was only after invasion of Kuwait that global community remembered and condemned Saddam’s extensive use of chemical weapons in the strongest terms. Still few foreign official ever expressed sympathy for the plight of Iranian wounded and their families.

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