AN NASIRIYAH, Iraq, May 5, 2004 — Italian Joint Task Force Soldiers saved the life of a five-year-old Iraqi child stung by a scorpion in the suburbs of An Nasiriyah, according, according to Combined Joint Task Force 7 officials.

Italian doctors quickly administered an antidote after the child was stung and brought him to the An Nasiriyah Hospital. The hospital was out of scorpion venom antidote.

Medical assistance by the Italian forces continues to be a priority in the Dhi Qar Province. Task force members also distributed a large quantity of medical supplies and a kit for water purification to the Al Bathah Medical Center. The activities are part of a broad medical assistance program aimed at improving living conditions in the Dhi Qar Province.