The teaching hospital in Arbil was opened originally in 1959. After two years of renovation, Shawkat Shaykh Yazdin, the minister for the Council of Ministers' affairs, opened the hospital on the second anniversary of the fourth cabinet of the Kurdistan regional [KDP-led] government. The hospital has been provided with many departments, floors, surgery halls, new units, and advanced equipment. 

During the opening ceremony, which the minister of finance and economy, the minister of health and social affairs, a number of deputy ministers, the representative of World Health Organizations, the director of the hospitals and the doctors attended, honourable Mr Yazdin inspected each and every room, unit, the general surgery department and orthopaedics surgery department and ophtamology department in the hospital. He surveyed each of the advanced, modern equipment and surgery appliances. 

He also visited the departments of intensive care, medical treatment, the pharmacy, the patients' additional halls for women and men and methods of observation in a scientific, healthy way. Generally, the hospital could accommodate 200 patients. 

In a speech he delivered in the lecture hall, Shawkat Shaykh Yazdin expressed his delight at the renovation of Arbil teaching hospital in a modern way and equipping it with modern and advanced equipment to serve patients. He manifested the importance of health services as one of the main priorities of the Kurdistan regional government to serve and address the medical needs of the citizens. He also stressed that the Kurdistan regional government, in the light of the guidelines and the directives of President [Mas'ud] Barzani, has always attached great importance to all aspects of life especially that of health and raising the health standards, reducing the rate of sickness in Kurdistan region by opening hospitals, importing new surgical instruments and medical equipment and appliances, and maintains attaching that importance. 

In this context Shawkat Shaykh Yazdin said: "The duty of physicians and the field of health care are sacred and it is a serious responsibility, which concerns all. So we must all put ourselves at the service of that sacred duty. We have to be able, as much as we can, to serve our fellow citizens to raise the health standards." 
[Passge omitted: More the minister's speech emphasising the regional government's commitment to serving the people] 

It is worth noting the Ministry of Health decided on the renovation of the hospital in 1999 and allocated the sum of 750,000 dollars. Now, surgery units, more than 170 beds and a number of medical equipment have been added to it. Moreover, it is on the future agenda to add a restaurant, a dressing room, a mosque, an artificial kidney department and a psychiatric unit to it. Also several advanced equipment and appliances operated by a new system for the intensive care unit, as well as for supervision, eyes, ears, brain and the spine units will be purchased. There will also be additional personnel and medical experts.