The representative of the Supreme Religious Authority, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalaey, received yesterday at his office the head of the Health and Medical Education Authority at the Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain, along with senior medical staff and supporting teams from Al-Mujtaba Hospital for Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation.

Dr. Haider Hamza Al-Abidi, head of the Authority, stated that the meeting aimed to review the high-quality medical services provided by Al-Mujtaba Hospital over its three years of operation. During this period, the hospital has completed 295 bone marrow transplant procedures, excluding patients currently awaiting surgery. Among these were approximately 45 advanced and specialized transplant procedures that had not previously been performed in Iraq.

He added that the hospital has gained regional prominence, particularly after becoming a member of advanced international organizations in this specialty. It has also been selected as an accredited training center for obtaining the Arab Board certification in bone marrow transplantation.

In light of these achievements, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalaey issued a blessed directive to prepare a comprehensive study for either expanding the existing hospital or establishing a new hospital with significantly greater capacity.

Dr. Al-Abidi explained that the proposed new facility aims to meet the growing needs of Iraqi patients, both children and adults. He noted that Al-Mujtaba Hospital’s current capacity is unmatched by similar institutions in the region, with the exception of the Nasser Center in the Arab Republic of Egypt—opened in 1997—which has a comparable capacity of 33 bone marrow transplant units.

He concluded by emphasizing that, in recognition of the country’s actual medical needs, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalaey directed the Health and Medical Education Authority to prepare a study for establishing a new, larger-capacity center in the holy city of Karbala, capable of providing the highest level of care to patients requiring bone marrow transplantation.