[Ragtime Cowgirl]

BAGHDAD, Iraq – During the last 10 years, physicians in Iraq have struggled for updated medical information, said Maj. John E. Padgett, the officer in charge of the public health team with the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, an Army Reserve unit based in Abilene, Texas, who now edits the “Iraqi Journal of Medicine.”

...This makes the “Iraqi Journal of Medicine” an especially valuable tool for medical practitioners. The “Iraqi Journal of Medicine” is a compilation of recently published medical information from all over the world...

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Maj. John E. Padgett, of the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, 1st Armored Division, saving lives in Iraq. Y
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"Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1..." ....

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...all 240 hospitals and more than 1200 clinics are open.

Since President  Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...doctors’ salaries are at least eight times what they were under Saddam.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...pharmaceutical distribution has gone from essentially nothing to 700 tons in May to a current total of 12,000 tons.

Since President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1...the Coalition has helped administer over 22 million vaccination doses to Iraq’s children.

See also:

8 Letter from Iraq ~ email | 9/9/03 | Ahmad Al-Attar
8 The Other Side of the Wall 

[Oatka]

Until now, the journal was a collection of gathered information from writers outside of Iraq. The next issue, however, will contain some articles written by Iraqis.
“We are striving for relevancy, and we’re encouraging Iraqi physicians to solicit articles for the Iraqi Journal of Medicine.” said Padgett. “Although we want to offer new information to the Iraqis and stimulate their thought processes, we also want to make the information relevant. The only people who can really do this are the Iraqis.”

That's the key - the quicker these guys and their peers in other disciplines come up to speed and begin contributing, Democracy in Iraq will be all that stronger.