Iraq parliamentary committee alleges corruption in hospital construction projects under China deal

Shafaq News/ Iraq's Chairman of the Parliamentary Health and Environment Committee, Majid Shingali hinted at potential corruption in the construction of several hospitals across Iraqi governorates under the China-Iraq agreement, a committee official said on Thursday.

Shingali told Shafaq News that “the agreement includes building 16 hospitals, each with a capacity of 100 beds, in Baghdad districts and one in every other Iraqi governorate. The Ministry of Health was authorized to invite companies directly for these projects.”

Shingali explained that a Ministry of Health committee reviewed the proposals and eliminated many firms, leaving 36 in consideration. The matter was referred to the Prime Minister’s office, which formed a separate committee that further reduced the number to 30 companies.

However, he revealed that instead of allowing competition between the 30 remaining firms based on price and competence, 11 companies were selected to undertake the projects, with five of them tasked with building two hospitals each. "This selection process raises suspicions of corruption," he noted.

The head of the health committee expressed his objection to the choice of companies on Wednesday, stating that a formal complaint had been sent to the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Health, with a response still pending.

Earlier, Shingali urged the Prime Minister to reconsider the decision to award the contracts to Egyptian, Turkish, and Chinese companies, noting that these firms had already approached Iraqi companies for subcontracts before the formal award of the tenders.

“If Iraqi companies will handle the work anyway, why not award the contracts directly to them instead of foreign firms?" he questioned.