Page 18 - History of Arabian Mission 1926-1957

"I had one case in a hut that was scarcely a shelter from the weather. By 195^, Amarah had the long-hoped-for two doctors, and part of the
This was the woman's ninth child hut none of the eight was living." time three American nurses.
This feature of the women's work was rapidly developed in the following Their report said: "Surgically speaking, the Amarah hospital has been
years. "These calls," wrote Miss Dalenberg, "with few exceptions come from the moving steadily forward. The number and variety of surgical cases is increas­
very poorest of the poor, and have taken me into the highways and byways of the ing and the competence of the help in handling them Is distinctly improved."
town. They have token me into huts and hovels where there was much of human
trouble and little of human happiness. In some of these places I remained for Amarah took the brave step at this time of beginning a training program
hours, and went down into the depths of misery, pain and need. I wonder that for its staff. The three girls and nine boys working in the wards of the hos­
the women had strength to keep themselves alive, to say nothing of giving life. pital or on the compound were given the privilege of beginning classes. Miss
Among the women of the higher classes I have talked concerning the superstitious Jeannette Veldman, who had done similar work in the Amoy Mission in China,
customs which they ridicule but all too slavishly follow. The day is probably planned and carried out this project, which included writing her own textbook
not far off when here, too, the wall of prejudice will crumble." on nursing arts.

A few years later she reported the first hospital baby, followed soon by. As coeducation did not seem advisable, the teaching periods were doubled;
six more to be born in the hospital. She said that in no other way had she ever in the second quarter, less classroom and more ward teaching was given. This
been able to get so close to the women, to learn to know them and love them and was continued for a second year, with class work and practical application of
to win their lasting friendship. nursing procedures in the hospital. Christian honesty and service was stressed,
and the fact that the patient is the most important person in the hospital.
In another few years, more mothers from the better class were coming,
and prenatal care of expectant mothers was instituted and successfully carried The mission hospital facilities for inpatients were adequate in the
on. earlier years for all kinds of people, from Marsh Arabs to Sheikhs, but latterly
*15 upper classes have advanced their standard of living. Now, if they are to
From the time medical work was opened in Amarah, Dr. Moerdyk had been came into the hospital for surgical or medical care, they want comfortable and
) greatly concerned with the plight of lepers, of whom there were many in this up-to-date accommodations, for which they are quite prepared to pay. The
area and for whom nothing was done. Beginning treatments in a small way, he Mission has built a block of rooms suitable for paying patients, which should
I eventually formed a leper colony adjacent to the hospital, for both men and represent a source of income In the future, as well as serving an influential
women. Proper medical care, comfortable living quarters, and above all the group in the community.
feeling that they were the subject of loving care and consideration, arrested
some cases, greatly alleviated the sufferings of others, and effected a strik­ A training course for nurses is one of the hopes of the Amarah hospital
ing change In attitude and personality. The Christian example of this unique for the future. Iraq Is desperately in need of nurses, in spite of social bar­
service, and the great evangelistic opportunity it afforded, made it a much- riers which still exist. The Amarah medical work is the only medical mission
prized aspect of life in Amarah. It was a source of great regret when in 19U0 work in Iraq except for the Seventh.Day Adventist Hospital in Baghdad. The
the leper camp was taken over completely by the Iraq government and removed to United Mission Is small in numbers and has no medical work. This means that f
a site outside the city. It was the Mission's pride, however, to have founded Iraqi opinion of Christian medical work Is based on the caliber of work done
the colony and thereby to have pioneered this line of work, so close to the in Amarah, and if our work there is constantly improving, the Iraqi attitude
heart of the Master Himself. toward the whole mission effort will he favorably influenced.
Iraq law required the attendance of two doctors at all operations, so A second hope for Amarah is for more rural work, among the desert
the mission hospital was handicapped for many years. However, the medical Bedouin or Marsh Arabs, who make up more than one half of the population of
service was continuously advancing, and an opportunity in 19^^ to assist the Iraq. Many of them are not reached even by government medical tours, and
Education Department In the examination of school children brought us into short or long tours by a medical evangelist team from the Mission would be i
Public Health service, and gave a wonderful contact with boys and girls and Ceaoible and effective.
their parents.
Aiaarah has had three successive doctor-nurse couples in service - the
Foundations for future surgical work were being laid in 19^8 when eye Moerdyko, Scudders, and Heusinkvelds. Dr. Voss, Dr. Bosch, and Dr. Nykerk have
surgery wa6 undertaken, and hernias and other ailments dealt with, by means of served there. Miss Cornelia Dalenberg, Miss Jeannette Veldman, Mrs. 0. J. I
co-operation between the government surgeon and the mission doctor. Holler, Miss Jeanette Boersraa, Miss Christine Voss, Miss Anne De Young, and
Miss Allene Schmalzriedt are also nurses who have served in this station for ;
o A baby clinic in 1950 was conducted with great success, Much labora- ) longer or shorter periods.
tory work was done and the facilities for this Improved. The large amount of
clinical work was now done almost entirely with drugs purchased in Baghdad, Kuwait.
where the wholesale drug houses were very co-operative and where all the most
modern drugs were available. In 1927 an article on "America in Kuwait" appeared in a weekly Arabic
newspaper called EL Faiha, printed in Damascus and widely circulated in the
Arab world. It said: