POUGHKEEPSIE – Iraqi Health Minister Dr. Adeela Hammound Hussein visited Vassar Brothers Medical Center on Monday to see how the Poughkeepsie hospital is operating with its emergency department annex.
That type of prefabricated facility, installed a year ago, is being considered to rebuild Iraq’s health system infrastructure.
Vassar spokesman Tim Massie said the visit, which came with only four hours notice, was a great honor for the hospital.
“To the best of my knowledge this probably was the highest ranking foreign official in any official capacity; there have been people in the past that have visited who have been in organizations, but you don’t every day get a phone call saying can you have a minister of health from a particular country come by and visit,” Massie said. “It was very informal.”
Dr. Hussein and Dr. Hassan Baker Al-Kazzaz, the director general for Iraq’s Ministry of Health, were in New York City at the United Nations when they learned of Vassar’s facilities and wanted to get a firsthand look at one of the Johnson Portables prefabricated buildings.
From left, Dr. Hussein, Ken Markho; managing director for the Middle East for Johnson Portables; Brian Johnson, owner of
Johnson Portables; and Dr. Al-Kazzaz (Photo: VBMC)
