Sadrists' grip on Iraqis' healthcare takes toll

USA Today, March 27, 2008

Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ironclad control over Iraq's health system has come under renewed scrutiny following recent clashes between his Mahdi Army militia and the Iraqi army. Iraq's hospitals and clinics have been at the center of some of the country's worst sectarian violence, although recent improvements in security have made Iraqis less afraid to seek medical attention. The turmoil in the health sector has severely damaged Iraq's ability to care for its sick.