on condition of anonymity said he had witnessed one widower beg authorities to release his wifes body just give me the body and ill bury her in my own home the heartbroken husband had said this is the situation after just 40 deaths what happens if it gets worse where will we put the bodies the medic asked many in iraq have been bracing themselves for a rise in cases in the weeks ahead but the countrys hospitals are illprepared to deal with large numbers they have been ravaged by decades of conflict and have received little investment in recent years leaving them woefully bereft of medicine and equipment doctors too have been threatened kidnapped and even killed in recent years over ransoms or under pressure from relatives of patients just one dream according to the who there are only 14 hospital beds in iraq for every 10000 people by way of comparison france currently overwhelmed by the spreading virus has 60 beds for every 10000 people to try to fill the gap iraqis are stepping up with inventions of their own medical engineer moqtada alzubaidi has created a hospital bed encased in plexiglass which includes a respirator with oxygen tanks an air conditioning unit a bell to ring nurses and a flatscreen television its an invention with humanitarian purposes we proposed the name the bed of life because it provides security and reassurance to people who are sick he saidzubaidi is awaiting approval from the health ministry to produce more beds which cost 4000 3600 euros each but for many fellow iraqis disheartened by the rising death toll such measures may be too little too late salem alshummary maliks cousin had tried to help malik bury his father and was left scarred by the experience were not fazed by death anymore we just have one dream to bury our dead he told afp