By Sgt. Jeff Lowry
124th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment
The cost of the construction effort will total nearly $306 million, officials said, with three types of clinics being built.
The smallest, most common centers will be nearly 12,500 square feet, with six exam rooms, two dental rooms, a laboratory and a cafeteria.
There will be 21 mid-size facilities at nearly 14,300 square feet each. These clinics will have the same capabilities as the smaller versions, but will also include teaching facilities and additional classrooms.
At nearly 21,000 square feet, 19 of the largest clinics will feature emergency and maternity care.
Going beyond the physical structures, GRD will be arranging equipment and programs.
"Buildings are only part of the picture," said U.S. Air Force Col. Andrew Knapp. "Medical equipment and long-term programs will be in place long after Coalition forces leave Iraq."
Knapp, who oversees projects totaling $2.18 billion, said Iraq’s Ministry of Health selected the clinic sites and equipment.
All clinics will have X-ray machines, with the largest facilities featuring ultrasound machines for expectant mothers.
Other heath care improvements include the renovation of Iraq's hospitals.
Twenty hospitals will be updated throughout country. The work will be done in phases so that daily operations can continue at each site.
At the same time, a health and sciences academy is being built inside Baghdad's International Zone. "None of this would’ve been possible without the support of the government of Iraq, the hard work of the Iraqi companies, and the U.S. government," said U.S. Army Col. Joseph Phillips, a GRD spokesperson.
