The Medical Care of Iraqi Enemy Prisoners of War

Abstract

During Operation Desert Storm, Approximately 62,000 enemy prisoners of war (EPWs) were captured by allied forces. Most of these EPWs were taken during the ground war and the weeks following. Over 20,000 of these were interned at East Camp, which was located approximately 125 miles south of the Kuwaiti border. The 300th Field Hospital was tasked to provide inpatient and outpatient care to the EPWs. This paper summarizes the experience, analyzing the diseases encountered, the types of medicines needed, and the unique problems of treating non-English speaking EPWs. From January 27 to February 23, 1991, approximately 308 patients were treated. From the beginning of the ground war on February 24, through March 30, approximately 8,979 patients were treated. The most common condition seen was dental disease (24.0%). Other commonly treated conditions were upper respiratory infection (12.4%), headache (11.7%), and urinary tract infections (9.6%). The unique problems of language barriers and security requirements increased the difficulty and the time required to conduct sick call for Iraqi EPWs.