Thread to break down the Reuters shenanigans:
- the Ministry of Health has been extremely transparent by publishing daily COVID-19 updates detailing total infected, healed & deceased
- the licence suspension came from the National Communications and Media Commission of Iraq, https://twitter.com/simonafoltyn/status/1250068510048432128

an independent body that’s not tied to the executive branch of govt. So you’re technically right when you say “the govt” but for the sake of clarity let’s ensure this distinction is understood
- the Reuters article claims 3k-9k COVID-19 cases vs the MoH figure that is less than

1500 as of today. I say the onus is on Reuters, not the MoH, to provide proof for this drastically different figure
- Reuters is notorious for sloppy reporting (2 incorrect wire stories in a single weekend in 2019 come to mind) & they use unprofessional wording ( is an example) https://twitter.com/hamzehkarkhi/status/767687471027150848

- if the MoH was so sloppy with its numbers other media agencies would have reported on this issue
- if the story was truly solid then the NYT wouldn’t have taken down the Reuters piece from their site
- the Reuters piece fails to explain the incentive for the MoH to tamper with

COVID-19 stats...having higher numbers would actually have helped Iraq get aid (more & quicker)
- the WHO/UN put out a statement confirming that they’ve been working side-by-side with the MoH & vouched for its methods
- final point is that doctors don’t have stats other than

within their own hospitals. Hospital directors forward stats to department heads who then forward to MoH HQ where they’re collated. So with all due respect to the 3 docs Reuters talked to, they’re only speculating, which explains the 3k-9k variance Reuters reported.
If I’ve

forgotten anything or anyone needs any clarification I simply urge you to contact my dear friend Dr. @Saif_Al_Badr the MoH spokesperson who has been working day & night since this crisis began to provide journalists with as much info & transparency as possible.