Client:
Iraq Project and Contracting Office

Project Duration:
July 2004 – October 2005

Contract Value:
$18 million

Parsons Responsibilities:
Site assessments, facility systems and equipment upgrades and repairs, and new facility design and construction.

The Iraq Project and Contracting Office (PCO) serves the people of the United States and Iraq by contracting for and delivering services, supplies, and infrastructure identified within the Iraqi Relief and Reconstruction Fund. PCO’s Buildings, Health, and Education (BHE) Sector is improving the quality of life for millions of Iraqis by renovating and constructing hospitals, schools, and other public buildings. The BHE Sector anticipates that new healthcare centers and renovated hospitals will be instrumental in bringing modern-day healthcare to at least six million people, approximately 25% of the population.

No new hospitals have been built in Iraq since 1984. Through its design-build BHE contract with the PCO, Parsons is designing and constructing 150 primary healthcare clinics and renovating 19 hospitals throughout Iraq. American expatriate architects and engineers work alongside Iraqi architects and engineers in three regional offices in Iraq designing the new clinics and renovated medical facilities.

Building construction in war-torn Iraq is far from easy. Decades of conflict and neglect have taken their toll on buildings such as hospitals, where the combination of stolen equipment and regional fighting has made work not only difficult, but dangerous. Construction is subcontracted to Iraqi contractors, providing badly needed jobs to many Iraqis.

Quality control is a big issue. Because security issues prevent expatriates from making trips to most project sites, Iraqis are being trained in quality control and construction management processes, which they then perform on Parsons’ behalf.

Another obvious challenge—one that has been overlooked in the past—is that many trained professionals left the country during the war, leaving a shortage of skilled workers. The PCO BHE Sector intends to use Iraqi workers whenever possible to both cut cost and boost the local economy. In particular, the sector wants to hire more Iraqi women, a group chronically underemployed in Iraq for several decades.

Project Details

Ibn Al Baladi Maternity and Children’s Hospital was built in 1983. Originally designed as a two-story facility with 260 beds, the hospital has been expanded to accommodate 100 more beds. The hospital serves an average of 500 to 700 maternity, pediatric, and blood disorder patients daily. It is located in well-known and dangerous Sadr City, Baghdad.

The Ibn Al Baladi Maternity and Children’s Hospital renovation and modernization is one of the task orders under Parsons’ $500 million design-build BHE contract. Parsons scope of work includes:

• Assessing and evaluating current conditions

• Proposing equipment and recommending associated modifications

• Designing and constructing approved modifications and additions to the critical functions of the hospital

Parsons conducted a site investigation to assess the existing hospital, site, and surrounding ancillary spaces, structures access, and paved systems. Parsons reported its findings, made recommendations for repair, and proposed design solutions and associated costs. These findings were submitted to the PCO for approval.

Premature babies have been dying at Ibn Al Baladi Hospital because of extreme heat in the facility due to inoperable air handling units. Parsons repaired and upgraded the HVAC system, lowering the inside air temperature from over 100º F to 75º F, which has cut down on infant mortality and increased the likelihood of healthier babies and mothers. The hospital averages 30 births per day.

The Ibn Al Baladi Hospital cannot fulfill functional and cleanliness requirements, and the equipment and facility have fallen into disrepair. Parsons’ renovation will focus on installing new, updated equipment and critical facility systems, including mechanical, electrical, structural, and sanitary systems. Secondary work will focus on cleaning and cosmetic renovation.

Priority repair or replacement work includes toilets, kitchens, emergency rooms and suites, delivery rooms and suites, and operating rooms and suites. Other repair and renovation work includes sewer/plumbing systems; HVAC systems; electrical systems; centralized control and maintenance systems to continuously monitor hospital services; passive security systems (fences, window/door grilles, and locks); roofing that is weather-tight, water-shedding, leak-proof, and warranted for 20 years; interior and exterior wall finishing (windows, door frames, doors), hardware, glazing, floors and flooring, wall base, wall coverings, and stairs.

Parsons has identified the need for several major system replacements ranging from installing biohazard waste incinerators to elevators to reverse osmosis water purification systems. These upgrades will enhance the hospital’s efforts to control disease, improve internal movement of patients, and provide better water sources for the laboratory and surgical suites with minimal disruption to hospital operations. Several “quick start” projects have begun—basic trash removal, minor carpentry repair, and painting—in an effort to immediately employ local Iraqis.

All repair work is coordinated with the Iraq Ministry of Health and the hospital administration. During the design phase of the project, Parsons, along with the PCO, the Ibn Al Baladi Hospital, and the Ministry of Health, is developing specific equipment types and models. The Ministry of Health will approve the final equipment list, taking into consideration the final proposed design and budget available for equipment procurement.

Overall design is currently 30% complete. While design is ongoing, the site contractor is mobilizing, constructing field offices, and providing roof repairs, which are scheduled to be completed before the rainy season begins this fall.

Six options have been approved in addition to the basic scope of work. These include design and construction for:

1. 13,450-square-foot outpatient clinic.
2. 21,500-square-foot addition for a blood disease center.
3. 21,500-square-foot addition for storing pharmaceutical items, food, maintenance equipment, and furniture.
4. 13,000-square-foot addition for 12 apartments for married doctors.
5. 2,700-square-foot addition for a security guard post.
6. Carport/parking garage.

In addition to design-build responsibilities for this task order, Parsons will ensure appropriate training for all operators and technicians so the hospital can conduct long-term routine and preventive maintenance on all equipment installed on the project. Parsons will provide a preventive maintenance plan, outlining manufacturers’ information and recommendations. Parsons will also develop a comprehensive training package, providing training manuals in English and Arabic, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and hospital staff. Representatives from the equipment manufacturers and technical experts experienced with the specific equipment and systems will conduct the training.

By contract’s end, an estimated 15,000 Iraqis will have contributed to Iraq’s reconstruction by working with Parsons on healthcare facilities. Iraqis are eager to get back to work and to learn the technical skills required in today’s ever changing architectural, engineering, and building construction environments.

The PCO has assured Parsons that its work under the design-build BHE program will have a lasting impact and will provide an opportunity for a better future for the Iraqi people. The Ibn Al Baladi Hospital project represents just one of many task orders where Parsons is making a difference in Iraq. For more information on how Parsons is helping to rebuild Iraq, go to www.parsonsiraq.com

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