Iraqi physician Dr. Miriam Othman, who has worked with WiRED in Iraq for several years, spoke at the nonprofit's board meeting in October. Dr. Othman is now at at George Washington University as a Fulbright scholar.

"During the past few years, in my work with the International Organization for Migration, the Iraqi Ministry of Health, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and of course, with WiRED, I was able to observe a good cross-section of evolving conditions in the Iraqi medical community.
To put it plainly, conditions are not good. We had been deprived of much during the previous regime. Everything was stretched thin — medications, equipment, training, access to information and to medical developments. The needs grew during the '90s and into this decade, and Iraq doctors and medical students fell further behind their counterparts abroad.

With the arrival of American forces in 2003, Iraqi doctors, like most everyone in Iraq, had hoped for significant improvements. Sadly, conditions have not permitted that. Doctors in Iraq have suffered severe setbacks. Reliable agencies report that fully one-third of our doctors have left Iraq.
I, for one, was threatened directly and had to leave, literally within hours and at gunpoint.

Physicians remaining in Iraq suffer a double blow. For one, many must serve in subspecialties for which they have not been specifically trained. For instance, adult medicine doctors serve as pediatricians. All doctors, now, must wear many hats.

Another problem is the growing case­load — the casualties of war, environmental conditions, unaddressed health problems — which adds to the normal load and that requires yet more time and attention of our physicians. Shortfalls of resources, training, manpower and hope have conspired to make the condition of Iraqi medicine a very sad story.

It will take years to reconstruct the system, but I do want to say that one resource we need immediately and far into the future, is knowledge of new medical research and techniques. The Medical Information Centers gave us an early and instant glimpse beyond our borders to the outside medial world.

And what a view!
Then, the telemedicine program, which put Iraqi and American doctors face-to-face for the first time, gave remarkable access to well-trained medical professors and practitioners. Imagine being shielded from contact for so long, and then being given a window through which to see outside. This program delivers not only medical knowledge but direct in-person contact. That instills hope and reminds Iraqi doctors that we are part of a larger medical brotherhood and sisterhood.