Thursday, December 09, 2004

Doctors Overwhelmed in Iraq

The military's medical system is overwhelmed in Iraq by the largest number of -- and most severe -- injuries since the Vietnam War. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that the Army has fewer than 50 general surgeons, 15 orthopedic surgeons, in Iraq for 138,000 troops. The article details how the military is addressing the problem and also features a photo essay on their work. This small handful in Iraq has had to treat 9,765 wounded -- and some of the 1,276 who've died since the invasion. Yesterday, there were fresh reports of plans to draft health care workers if the need arose. (LAT)

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