Dr. Javad Ahmadi, Camp Ashraf: Mr. Muwaffaq al-Rubaie personally, the National Security Advisor has issued this inhumane order, based on which doctors have been banned from entering into Camp Ashraf in order to treat our patients.
International Committee of the Red Cross: “The ICRC continues to monitor the situation of Ashraf residents, and we are in contact with all the officials in the camp in this regard.”
Dr. Javad Ahmadi, Camp Ashraf: "Mr. Muwaffaq al-Rubaie personally, the National Security Advisor has issued this inhumane order, based on which doctors have been banned from entering into Camp Ashraf in order to treat our patients."
International Committee of the Red Cross: “The ICRC continues to monitor the situation of Ashraf residents, and we are in contact with all the officials in the camp in this regard.”
Photo: Fatemeh Alizadeh, cancer patient in Camp Ashraf
Report by Radio Free Europe , Persian Broadcast (radiofarda)*, April 4, 2009:
The People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) says that there are many patients in camp Ashraf, one of whom is diagnosed with cancer and is urgently in need of a medical operation. Reporting on this issue, Dr. Javad Ahmadi, one of the specialists at Camp Ashraf said:
Dr. Javad Ahmadi: It is the Iraqi government and Mr. Muwaffaq al-Rubaie personally, the National Security Advisor, who has issued this inhumane order, based on which doctors have been banned from entering into Camp Ashraf in order to treat our patients.
Why do they not transfer the patients to outside the camp, for example to a hospital in Baghdad?
Dr. Javad Ahmadi: When it comes to sending our patients to outside Ashraf for treatment and cure, we have been faced with restrictions and problems due to terrorist threats. As an example of such terrorist threats, two of our brothers have been kidnapped by elements affiliated with the Islamic Republic regime, and we have no information about them. That is why we cannot send our patients for treatment to outside the camp.
How have you obtained the required medicine thus far?
Dr. Javad Ahmadi: For the past several years, we have not obtained any kind of medicine from the Iraqi Ministry of Health, which means that if we succeed in finding the medicine, we would have to pay for it sometimes at 20 to 30 times the regular price. We are faced with a lot of problems. Recently, they have even prevented the entry of medicine to Ashraf. Is it acceptable for me to be forced to see cancer patients and those in critical condition in need of urgent care and operation lose their lives in front of my eyes?
Have you contacted international human rights organizations such as Doctors Without Borders?
Dr. Javad Ahmadi: The problem is that the Iraqi government has completely banned the entry of all foreign and international delegations to Ashraf.
In this regard, one of the patients inside Camp Ashraf, who is diagnosed with cancer, talked to Radio Farda, saying:
Fatemeh Alizadeh: My name is Fatemeh Alizadeh. Several months ago I was diagnosed with cancer, and I was being treated by an Iraqi doctor. They continuously monitored my condition in order to prevent the cancer from spreading. I had an operation scheduled for Friday, April 3, and all the required preparations were made. But unfortunately, they were not permitted to enter [Camp Ashraf].
In response to the question, ‘Do you have available resources to reduce the amount of pain or not,’ Ms. Alizadeh said that because she has cancer, medicine to control the pain is ineffective, adding:
Fatemeh Alizadeh: This is cancer, and it has to be treated with an operation and chemo therapy.
We asked a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Amman, what measures the ICRC can adopt in order to help doctors and medicine enter Camp Ashraf. She said:
The ICRC continues to monitor the situation of Ashraf residents, and we are in contact with all the officials in the camp in this regard. We will continue to be in close contact with them regarding the situation of camp residents.
The ICRC spokesperson added that this international organization cannot provide direct medical resources. In such circumstances, the condition and fate of patients in Camp Ashraf remains unclear.
*this is the English translation of the report which was broadcasted in Persian
