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IMI Arbaeen Medical MissionA service, training, and humanitarian mission dedicated to serving the pilgrims (zawaar) of Imam Hussain (AS) during Arbaeen.
Since its beginning, IMI’s Arbaeen Medical Mission has grown from a small international medical team into one of IMI’s most important annual service and training programs.
IMI has coordinated annual medical missions during Arbaeen to serve the zawaar of Imam Hussain (AS).
More than 800,000 zawaar have received free medical care, medications, emergency support, and health services since inception.
More than $800,000 USD has been spent on free medicines, medical supplies, and equipment provided to patients.
During the 17th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission, IMI served 71,941 zawaar through medical care and support services.
More than 750 participants have received certification through IMI-led training programs connected to the mission.
IMI has trained Ataba staff, students, volunteers, and healthcare team members in BLS, ACLS, PALS, mass casualty management, and more.
Since 2010, Imamia Medics International has had the honor of coordinating medical missions during Arbaeen in Iraq. What began as a small medical camp in Karbala with a 9-member international team has grown into one of IMI’s most important annual service, training, and humanitarian programs.
The first Arbaeen Medical Mission served approximately 4,000 zawaar. Over the years, the mission expanded across multiple service areas, included larger international delegations, and brought together physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, students, allied health professionals, translators, and volunteers from Iraq and around the world.
Today, IMI’s Arbaeen Medical Mission is more than a temporary clinic. It is a service mission, a training mission, and a model of international cooperation with Iraqi health partners, universities, local volunteers, and the Holy Shrines.
Applications for IMI’s 18th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission will open soon, InshaAllah.
This year’s mission will continue IMI’s long-standing focus on safe, organized, and high-quality service for the zawaar of Imam Hussain (AS). Given the current regional situation, mission plans, delegate numbers, travel guidance, and on-ground arrangements may be adjusted based on safety, logistics, and the needs of our partners in Iraq.
Interested healthcare professionals, trainees, students, and volunteers should continue to check this page for application details, eligibility information, deadlines, travel guidance, and mission updates.
A look at IMI’s service, training, teamwork, and care for the zawaar of Imam Hussain (AS) during recent Arbaeen Medical Missions.
Over the last many years, IMI’s Arbaeen Medical Mission has continued to grow in scale, quality, and impact.
IMI’s early missions expanded from one medical camp to multiple service areas in Karbala and Najaf. Later missions included major medical and dental camps, eye care services, emergency care, specialty care, medication distribution, and support for critical patients.
As the mission grew, IMI’s international delegations also expanded, with delegates joining from North America, Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and other regions. This growth allowed IMI to increase both the number of zawaar served and the range of medical services provided.
IMI’s first Arbaeen Medical Mission began with a 9-member international team and served approximately 4,000 zawaar.
The mission expanded from one medical camp to multiple service areas, including medical care, dental care, eye care, emergency support, and specialty services.
IMI added structured training, clinical mentorship, emergency response education, and capacity-building programs for students, volunteers, and staff.
During the 17th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission, IMI served 71,941 zawaar through medical care, emergency support, specialty services, medications, and health-related assistance.
Applications for the 18th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission will open soon, InshaAllah.
IMI teams provide general medical care, emergency care, specialty services, medications, dental care, eye care, wound care, and support for patients who need urgent attention.
IMI also supports Iraqi healthcare capacity through training, supervised clinical exposure, mentorship, and professional development for students, staff, volunteers, and health professionals.
During the 17th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission, IMI served 71,941 zawaar through medical care, emergency support, specialty services, medications, and health-related assistance.
During the mission, IMI teams worked across many areas of care, including general medicine, emergency care, dentistry, dermatology, orthopedics, urology, cardiology, ophthalmology, pharmacy, wound care, and clinical support services.
Patients were treated for a wide range of needs, including heat-related illness, dehydration, respiratory infections, eye infections, wounds, burns, blisters, dental infections, chronic disease management, cardiac symptoms, neurological events, musculoskeletal injuries, and other urgent medical conditions.
The mission also continued IMI’s growing training and education work in Iraq, with students and trainees learning through direct clinical exposure, supervised rotations, structured teaching, and mentorship from experienced specialists.
IMI’s 16th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission served nearly 35,000 zawaar in Karbala.
The mission provided general medical care, emergency assistance, specialist services, dental care, eye care, free medications, and support for critical patients. Specialties represented included Cardiology, Critical Care, Dentistry, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Gastroenterology, Nursing, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Oncology, Orthopedics & Trauma, Optometry, Pain Management, Pharmacy, Surgery, Urology, and other clinical areas.
The mission also included point-of-care testing, portable ultrasound, minor procedures, emergency stabilization, dental care, eye care, and support for patients who otherwise may have needed transfer to already burdened hospitals.
A major goal of IMI’s Arbaeen Medical Mission is to support Iraqi healthcare capacity through training, mentorship, and professional development.
In recent years, IMI has provided hands-on training for Iraqi doctors, medical students, nursing students, health professionals, Ataba staff, and volunteers. Training has included CPR, BLS, ACLS, PALS, medical triage, mass casualty management, emergency response, major hemorrhage control, clinical skills, ECG interpretation, point-of-care ultrasound, suturing, dermatology, orthopedics, fluid management, respiratory failure, and medical ethics.
During recent missions, students and trainees have participated in clinical rotations, teaching sessions, case-based learning, work-based assessments, and direct mentorship from IMI specialists. This combination of service and education helps strengthen clinical skills while also emphasizing patient respect, professional communication, ethics, and teamwork.
IMI’s Arbaeen Medical Camp also serves as an academic field teaching environment.
Patients receive direct care while students and trainees learn through supervised clinical exposure. This allows trainees to see how care is delivered in a high-volume, high-pressure setting while maintaining safety, compassion, and professional standards.
The mission also gives students exposure to different specialties and real patient scenarios. Through direct guidance from experienced specialists, students learn how to assess patients, communicate respectfully, understand triage, support emergency care, and work as part of a team.
IMI’s work in Iraq has been built through cooperation with local health institutions, universities, and the Holy Shrines.
Over the years, IMI has worked in cooperation and collaboration with partners including the Karbala Health Department, DG Health Karbala, Ataba Hussainia, Ataba Abbasiya, Ataba Alawiya, local hospitals, universities, and Iraqi healthcare professionals.
Recent mission years have also included important academic and institutional collaborations, including IMI’s work with the Haya’at as Sehaa wa Al Ta’aleem Attibbi of the Ataba Hussainia and educational collaboration involving Sadiq International Virtual University and the University of Warith Al-Anbiyaa.
These partnerships allow IMI to support immediate patient care during Arbaeen while also contributing to long-term education, training, and healthcare capacity building in Iraq.
The Arbaeen Medical Mission is guided by the spirit of service to the pilgrims (zawaar) of Imam Hussain (AS). IMI delegates are expected to serve with humility, patience, professionalism, discipline, and respect.
The mission environment can be intense. Patient volumes are high, the weather can be difficult, and the needs of the zawaar can change quickly. IMI therefore works to prepare delegates for safe service, strong teamwork, and respectful cooperation with Iraqi partners and local volunteers.
To learn more about IMI’s recent Arbaeen Medical Missions, please review the updates below:
Review the post-mission page for IMI’s 17th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission.
View 17th MissionRead the mid-mission update from the 17th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission.
Read UpdateReview the post-mission report for IMI’s 16th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission.
View 16th MissionReview the post-mission report for IMI’s 15th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission.
View 15th MissionApplications for the 18th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission will open soon, InshaAllah.
Please check back for updated application details, mission dates, eligibility requirements, delegate expectations, travel guidance, and participation instructions.
Check Back for UpdatesIMI's Arbaeen Medical Camp is just a short walk 2 minutes from the Shrine of Imam Hussain.
Directions can be found on google maps by clicking here.
Plans for IMI's 17th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission included a medical camp in Karbala, in-person training through the 7th Annual Arbaeen Conference, public health information for zawaar, and the continued provision of free medications/medical supplies and equipment.
To read more click here
Since 2010, IMI has been coordinating medical missions to Iraq for Arbaeen.Over the last 16 years, IMI has had the honor of coordinating medical missions during Arbaeen in Iraq in cooperation and collaboration with DG Health Karbala, Ataba Abasiya, Ataba Hussainia Sehat and Tasleemat, Ataba Alawiya, the Karbala Health Department and the Governor of Karbala.
The initial Arbaeen Medical Mission involved one medical camp in Karbala in Babul Qibla with a 9-member international team and countless translators and local volunteers. Approximately 4000 pilgrims were provided care through this initiative.
Since then, IMI’s Arbaeen Medical Mission has expanded, with 3 separate camps during Arbaeen in Karbala, one at the Haram of Imam Hussain (A.S). and the other in the Haram of Hazrat Abbas (A.S.), and additional medical services at Al Safeer Hospital where specialized doctors provide some clinical and surgical care, as well as a medical camp just after Arbaeen at the Haaram of Imam Ali (A.S.) in Najaf. Our international delegations have increased in size as well with over 100 delegates from Europe, North America, South Asia and the Middle East. These increases have allowed us to more than triple our impact with approximately 19,000 pilgrims cared for during the 5th medical mission and more than 75,000 cared for during the 6th Annual Arbaeen Medial Mission. Our 8th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission allowed our impact to grow to an estimated 150,000 and the 9th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission cared for over 110,000. Details are available by clicking here.
During IMI's 10th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission, delegates from all over the world including Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, South Africa, the US and UK, joined colleagues in Iraq to provide care and medications to more than 101,000 in need. Watch our video below for glimpses of the services provided last year through multiple major medical and dental camps in Karbala and Najaf, eye care clinics, and the donation of medications to clinics and Shrines in Karbala, Najaf and Samara. IMI's 11th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission had 3 service areas in Karbala and one in Najaf. In addition, for the first time, the IMI International Arbaeen Health Conference was organized to provide disaster training for the staff and volunteers at the Shrines.
IMI’s 12th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission, despite the difficulties of COVID-19 and the pandemic stopping our international delegates from joining in person,was able to serve zawaar last year through the short medical camp near the Shrine of Hazrat Abbas (A.S.) under the leadership of Dr. Osama Khadum, as President of IMI Iraq and local health professionals with free medications, the distributions of masks and gloves as well as education regarding COVID-19 and its prevention. We were also able to help further by remote consults as needed at the camp and with a 24 hour telemedicine service provided in a medical camp along the walk between Najaf and Karbala.
For the first time, IMI's 14th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission was blended with a ziyarat trip to allow those who wish to serve to travel & stay with their families and other zawaar, as well as benefit from the respected guidance from Maulana Syed Ali Raza Rizvi through his guided ziyarat and lectures. This unique experience was open to all, not just delegates of IMI's 14th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission.
IMI's 15th Arbaeen Medical camp in Karbala served nearly 50,000 zawaar, saving patients nearly $5 million USD. In addition to providing general medical care, the IMI Arbaeen Medical Camp provided life-saving emergency medical assistance, specialist services, dental and eye care as well as free medications. As part of IMI's 5th Annual Arbaeen Conference, IMI experts trained 100+ Ataba staff (of the Holy Shrines) and 80+ young professionals and students of medicine, nursing, dentistry, and pharmacy. IMI Certification courses in Basic CPR, BLS, ACLS, PALS, and Mass Casualty Incident Management were given, and educational lectures were delivered in Massive Hemorrhage Control and Diabetic Foot Management. IMI experts also provided trainings at additional locations, ranging from Kufa Medical School, Kufa "German" Teaching Hospital, Najaf Cardiac Care Center and Ataba Abbasiya Conference Hall in Karbala.
During every Arbaeen Medical Mission, most of our physicians provided basic/GP level health and dental care. Some complex medical problems requiring specialist input and surgeries are also tackled during our time in Iraq. For example, during the 6th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission, a surgery was performed by plastic surgeon Dr Faheem Khadim on the arm/hand of a patient from Saudi Arabia who was shot on his way to Kazmain to ensure that his nerves were not severed and functionality of all of his fingers was preserved. In addition, two workshops were conducted at Kufa University: one on medical neutrality and another on neuro urology/neuromodulation. A workshop was also presented on mental health in Najaf.
One of the critical goals of IMI’s work in Iraq—something that sets us apart from all other clinics there—training for Iraqis, is also accomplished during the Arbaeen Medical Mission. During the last mission, Iraqi doctors and over 75 nursing students, as well as other health professionals, were able to benefit from hands on experience working with IMI delegates seeing both how care for patients is delivered medically but also ethically and through a systematic layered triage approach that includes patient sensitive, professional communication.
IMI's 16th Arbaeen Medical camp in Karbala served nearly 35,000 zawaar
For this year’s Arbaeen, our plans include a new program open to all through IMI’s Unique Experiences: Arbaeen Ziyarat & Service Mission, blending spiritual & social programming for your whole family with services for the zawaar of Imam Hussain (A.S.). OPEN TO ALL, not just delegates of IMI's 14th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission
Applications are closed for IMI's 14th Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission. Delegates worked in medical camps, speciality clinics and travelled within Iraq from September 7-19, 2022.
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