Medical Books Shipped to Doctors in Iraq

TULSA, Okla. — Fifty boxes of medical books and journals will be sent to Iraq this week in a humanitarian effort that grew out of one soldier’s concern that doctors in that war-torn country have inadequate reference material.

U.S. Army Lt. Isaac Shields, a former University of Tulsa student who is a liaison between Iraqi hospitals and the Army, said medical libraries in the country’s hospitals and clinics did not have more than a dozen books each.

In July, he sent an e-mail about his concern to his former teacher, Joanne Davis, a Tulsa assistant professor of psychology.

"They yearn to learn what the rest of the world has to offer," he wrote.

The lack of information hurt Iraqis, he wrote. In one case, doctors could not figure out why a 1-year-old girl was unconscious. The girl was taken to U.S. medics, who quickly discovered that her body had reacted badly to an immunization.

"As soon as I got the message, I was like: `OK, let’s go. What do we do?’" Davis said.

She started calling psychologists and doctors she knew to ask for donations.

When students returned for the fall semester, she recruited about 10 to ask other colleges, libraries, hospitals and publishing houses for more materials published within the past decade.

They also collected money to pay for shipping.

Although the books and journals are meant for doctors in Iraqi clinics, Davis sees the materials as also supporting Shields, letting him know that people at home care about him.

The reference materials also communicate good will to Iraqis, she said.

Shields wrote to her in September that the donations show that Americans care about Iraqis and their future.

"Your efforts are helping us, as the United States Army demonstrates the compassion that makes freedom great," he wrote.